I walked back through the twilight forest with my guide.
Even though it was the same path we had taken earlier, the scenery looked different. Was it because my body felt lighter? Or perhaps because my heart did?
The drawstring pouch was still heavy. But it no longer felt like lead. The God of the Shrine and the God of the Vacant Lot rested quietly inside.
“...Peaceful.”
I heard the faint voice of the God of the Vacant Lot.
“...There’s a little more room now.”
Then, the voice of the God of the Shrine.
Where there had been three, there were now only two. My pouch had finally found some breathing room.
The final words of the God of the Signpost echoed in my mind.
“...I don’t know.”
Whether we would ever meet again, he didn't know. That was the simple, honest truth of our parting.
The sky deepened to a madder red, then slowly dimmed into dusk. Night crept in from the depths of the forest, but I wasn't afraid. Once we reached the village, I would be safe.
After walking for about two hours, we arrived at the Boundary Village. A bonfire blazed in the central plaza, with a few villagers gathered around the flames.
“You’re back,” someone called out.
“Looks like it went well,” another added.
The guide nodded. “Yeah. I left him there.”
“I see. Good work.”
I felt a small sense of relief from the warmth of the fire. This was a safe place. At least for tonight.
Before dinner, I visited the Elder’s house. I knew I had to report in.
Inside, a fire glowed in the sunken hearth, and I was served a cup of warm tea.
“I’ve seen him safely there,” I said. “The third god.”
The Elder nodded slowly. “I see. Well done.”
There was a certain weight to his words.
“...I feel lighter.”
“I expect so. That is what it means to see them to their place.”
The Elder took a sip of his tea.
“You still carry two. The God of the Shrine and the God of the Vacant Lot, correct?”
“...Yes.”
“There are two more places where they belong.”
I straightened my back. “...Where to next?”
The Elder stared into the hearth fire as he spoke.
“Beyond the Second Boundary. It will take two days from here. You will pass through the Nameless Valley. Be careful.”
The Nameless Valley. The words alone seemed to cast an unsettling shadow over the room.
“...What is there?”
“It is a place where names melt,” the Elder’s voice dropped low. “There, you may find yourself forgetting who you are. You must not identify yourself. You must not call out to anyone.”
I etched those words into my mind. The Nameless Valley. The place where names melt. Yet another trial awaited me.
“...But,” I started, a question suddenly bubbling to the surface. “...Why do we bring them to these places at all?”
The Elder looked slightly surprised. “Why, you ask?”
“Gathering them, carrying them, leaving them behind...” I chose my words carefully. “What does this endless cycle actually achieve?”
The Elder remained silent for a while. A spark popped in the hearth.
“If they aren't seen to their proper place, they remain scattered,” the Elder said slowly. “Gods cannot stay in one spot forever. If they are forgotten, they vanish. That is why a Gatherer finds them and brings them where they belong. That way, they don't have to disappear.”
“...But is it always going to be like this?” I asked. “Is it just a constant cycle of gathering and moving them?”
The Elder shook his head. “No. Eventually, there will be an end.”
I caught my breath at that. “An end...?”
“The gods will eventually come together in a single place.”
The Elder’s eyes glinted, reflecting the dancing flames.
“We call it Kamiatsume—The Gathering of Gods.”
Kamiatsume. The word resonated in my chest.
“Kami... atsume,” I whispered. “The gods... coming together.”
“Yes,” the Elder nodded. “The ones collected by the Gatherers will one day meet. Those who were scattered will become one again. That is the Gathering.”
I turned the word over in my mind. Kamiatsume. Every god meeting in a single location. Was that the ultimate end?
“...When will they gather?” I asked. “When will the Gathering happen?”
The Elder shook his head. “I do not know. But it will surely happen one day. Legend says that once, long ago, all the gods were brought together.”
My heart skipped a beat. “...It really happened? Truly?”
The Elder had a distant look in his eyes. “It is a legend. A very ancient one. No one knows what happened then. Only that they all came together. That much is certain.”
Kamiatsume. All the gods in one place. It had happened before. And one day, it would happen again.
“...Even the ones I’ve gathered?”
I looked down at my pouch.
“The God of the Shrine, the God of the Vacant Lot, the God of the Signpost... will they all be there too?”
The Elder nodded slowly. “Perhaps. That is why we see them to their places. From where they are left, the gods will eventually set out again. They will head toward the site of the Gathering.”
I took those words to heart. Seeing them to their places wasn't the end. It might very well be the beginning of the Gathering.
I left the Elder’s house and ate dinner in the plaza. It was a simple meal, but it was warm. I could feel the warmth and nourishment sink in.
After eating, I rested in a small hut provided for me. The straw bedding was a bit stiff, but for my tired body, it was more than enough.
Under the covers, I gripped my pouch. It felt warm. The God of the Shrine and the God of the Vacant Lot were sleeping peacefully.
“...Kamiatsume,” I whispered softly.
A faint voice drifted from inside the pouch.
“...The Gathering.”
It was the God of the Shrine.
“...One day, everyone... will be together.”
The God of the Vacant Lot joined in.
“...I see,” I said, closing my eyes. “...So everyone will meet one day.”
Kamiatsume. The day all gods meet in one place. I didn't know when it would come. But that day would surely arrive.
Long ago, all the gods gathered in a single place. The words repeated in my mind.
Before falling asleep, I thought to myself: Gathering them, bringing them home, leaving them behind. Perhaps that is the path toward the Gathering. And I am right in the middle of it.
I still carry two gods. There are still destinations I must reach. Beyond the Second Boundary. Across the Nameless Valley.
But tonight, I rest. A brief moment of rest. Tomorrow, I start walking again.
The pouch felt faintly warm. Feeling that warmth, I drifted into sleep.