Lustitia and the Rod of Asclepius
In a wakeful dream, I stood before Lustitia. She was blindfolded, with the scales of judgment held gently balanced in one hand. Lustitia, once a mortal who had ascended to her divine role, carried the weight of every judgment she had ever rendered. Her blindfold was not merely a symbol but a reminder of her own sacrifice—her choice to forsake personal bias for the sake of true justice. The scales in her hand were not just an instrument but a part of her being, sensitive to the subtlest shifts in morality and truth. She had long pondered the nature of guilt and redemption, understanding that every soul she judged was a reflection of her own journey toward understanding the delicate balance between justice and mercy. Before her lay the rod of Asclepius, a single serpent wrapped along its length. She motioned for me to move within her shadow. Once there, she whispered, "You can stand before me in judgment and in humble supplication, or you may take up the rod and free yourself of the sickness that has chased you every day of your life, but you can only choose one." I thought for a moment, then I began to kneel, readying myself to be judged. Though she was blindfolded, I could feel her eyes heavy on me. She said, "Why not take up the rod of Asclepius and be free of your sickness? Why submit yourself to judgment?" I raised my head so that I could meet her blinded gaze. I said, "If I take up the rod, then yes, I will no longer be sick, but I will still know that I am guilty." The scales began to lose their balance slightly as she spoke. "Then why be judged if you already know your guilt?" I stretched out my arms to either side with my hands and fingers spread wide. "I have no desire to live free of this sickness while drowned in guilt. I'd rather face judgment so those I love can be free." She told me to stand and said, "Take up the rod, be free of your sickness, and I shall judge you at the end of your time." I plucked the rod from where it lay. I choked the serpent and broke the rod in two, throwing them both at her feet and screaming as if I were casting words deep into a void, "I will be judged now so that I can be free of this sickness!" The scales tipped heavily to one side, and I was finally...
