Hermes would appear in front of Pray just as he was zoning out, listening to the murmurs of the dead. "Pray, Pray!" Hermes said, prompting Pray to recoil and swiftly raise his head to face him. "Ah, Hermes, what might be the problem?" Pray said as he rose from his seat. Hermes was much taller than Pray, thus Hermes had to crouch to be at eye level with Pray. "Here," Hermes said, handing Pray a black card with crimson swirls surrounding it. "You know what to do," Hermes said to Pray before turning back and flying away; he needed to transmit the same card to the other gods as well.
When Hermes flew away, Pray would clutch his hood to keep it from coming down while clutching the card securely. When the wind died down, Pray would scrutinize the card before ripping it in half. The card would catch fire, causing another paper-like figure formed of fire to materialize in front of him. "Oh?" Pray inquired, leaning in close to study the figure's contents. "𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝕻𝖗𝖆𝖞, 𝕲𝖔𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝕻𝖗𝖆𝖞𝖊𝖗𝖘, 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖍𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖍𝖚𝖒𝖇𝖑𝖞 𝖎𝖓𝖛𝖎𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖎𝖓 𝖋𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖍𝖚𝖓𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖞𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖒𝖔𝖔𝖓 𝖇𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖙! 𝖄𝖔𝖚'𝖛𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔 𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖆𝖘 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖞 𝖉𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖒𝖔𝖔𝖓 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙. 𝕳𝖔𝖕𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖊𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖐 𝖔𝖓 𝕬𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖍!" Pray was surprised. Him, chosen to be one of the dancers?
Pray's eyes would light up as he produced a wide smile on his face. This was a great opportunity for him, and if he was successful, his reputation would skyrocket. After reading the texts, the figure would transform into a red rose pin, which Pray swiftly grabbed before fleeing to Iphinee. Inphinee was a golden kingdom in the clouds made up of many things and numerous places, one of which comprised of portals that led to different regions of the multiverse. Pray rushed along the corridors, his shoes squeaking on the gleaming floor, unable to contain his joy. Other gods were drawn to the sound of his shoes squeaking, but he couldn't care less.
"Where is he going off to?" one god asked another as Pray passed by. "I'm not sure, but he seems excited," the other god responded. They both assumed it was because Pray had been chosen as one of the dancers, and he was off to tell someone else. The story about the dancers is always mentioned around in Iphinee, and because of Pray's outstanding reputation, he wasn't given a bad impact as to why he was dashing along the corridor. "Way to go, Pray!" said another god from the sidelines as Pray waved towards them with a lovely smile before continuing to run away. "He's just as gorgeous as they say he'll be!" remarked the god.
Pray would come to a complete stop in front of a large door. Before entering the door, he looked up and clutched the rose pin to his chest. The room behind the door was filled with portals, and Pray would race along the long passageway, seemingly knowing where he was headed. He'd dashed into a pure white doorway that was empty on the inside, "Whoop!" Pray grumbled as he sprang out. He looked around the empty space until he noticed a tall figure at the corner who appeared to be looking up at something. Pray dashed towards the figure, hugging them from behind when he arrived. "My Love!" Pray shouted joyfully as he looked up.
"Pray?" exclaimed the person as he twisted his head around, showing himself to be Graffiti. "Yeah, I'm here to tell you about something," Pray replied, closing his eyes. "Well, go ahead and tell me everything!" Graffiti would pull away from Pray's grasp to sit on the ground, and Pray would join him by sitting beside him. "So, I've been invited to join as one of the dancers in the blood moon ball!" Pray said joyfully as he hugged Graffiti's arm, unable to contain his delight. "Wait, the blood moon ball?" Graffiti asked, serious on his face. As soon as he heard the phrase "Blood Moon Ball," he remembered something. But, before he told Pray his thoughts, he inquired if he had heard him correctly.
"Yes! The Blood Moon Ball, why do you ask?" Pray questioned, perplexed by Graffiti's abrupt change of mood. "Pray, don't you get cursed whether you succeed or fail? And one of the curses in the succession was to fall in love with the one you danced with?" Graffiti asked, turning Pray's joyful smile into a shocked one. "What?" Pray was taken aback by Graffiti's words, as he had recently learned that he had been partnered with Adrasteia, the God of Neutrality. Pray sat back down on the ground, hands to his mouth as his eyes began to shake. "Pray?" Graffiti inquired, coming in close to check on Pray.
"I didn't know, and I already accepted," Pray murmured, shifting his glance from the ground to Graffiti. "Can't you just not go?" Graffiti inquired. "No, if a god refuses to go after accepting, they will be burned and sent to the Aerial Land," Pray stated as he moved himself closer to Graffiti, as if seeking solace in his arms. Graffiti couldn't take it anymore and pushed Pray away before fleeing in rage. "Graffiti.." Pray murmured as he extended out his hand as he watched Graffiti walk away from him. He couldn't accept that he was about to be cursed to love someone else, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Pray sat there, holding his knees and crying quietly. Despite the fact that no one could hear him, he grieved in silence because he wasn't used to yelling his heart out. "He departed, am I never going to see him?" Pray wondered, lowering his head on his knees. Throughout the rest of his stay, he had several impulsive ideas before deciding to stand up, wipe his tears away, and return to the Godverse Timeline to prepare for the Ball. Meanwhile, Graffiti was elsewhere, leaning against a trunk, ruminating on his life and regretting leaving Pray abruptly rather than consoling him.
It had been a few weeks since Pray had met with Graffiti, and Pray seemed to have forgotten about the meeting due to how busy he was with the preparations. "Pray, do you mind jumping up to that ledge?" Poseidon asked as Pray was setting down a vase he was holding. "Of course! What shall I do up there?" Pray inquired, seeking clarification on what he should accomplish. "I need you to put these decorations up there since none of the other gods who can fly can do it right now because they're too busy," Poseidon stated as he handed Pray a basket of decorations.
"Will do!" Pray grabbed the basket before leaping to the ledge, which he managed very easily considering the ledge's height of more than 30 meters. "Woah," Pray said, his gaze fixed on the ground. He was used to witnessing such heights and didn't lose his balance or grow afraid. He completed his task quickly, placing the ornaments atop the ledges before leaping back to the floor. He liked what he did and was quite impressed. "Great job!" Poseidon remarked, complementing Pray for making the ornaments on the ledges appear nice. Pray would thank Poseidon for the compliment with a beautiful grin.
Soon, the Ball would approach, and Pray would be seated on a chair inside his room, dressed in his silk and gorgeous garments. He was thinking about a lot of things at the time, until the door burst open and Tyche arrived, holding a bag. Pray would flinch since he wasn't expecting anyone to come in so abruptly. "L-Lady Tyche!" Pray shouted, peering over the chair's backrest at Tyche, who appeared to be smiling pleasantly. "Come here, child, I'll do your make-up," Tyche said as she came over to Pray and placed the bag she was carrying, which was a make-up bag, on the table.
"Lady Tyche, you really don't have to!" Pray cried, lifting his hands to prevent Tyche from touching his face with the make-up brush she held out to him. "Noooo!" shouted Pray, his cries echoing along the coridoor. Tyche was soon able to complete Pray's make-up application, and he appeared more majestic than before. His make-up looked great with his outfit and hair. "See? You look wonderful!" Tyche shouted with delight as Pray inspected himself in the mirror. "Woah.. thank you so much, Lady Tyche!" Pray said as he's smiling sweetly, causing Tyche to be taken aback. Pray's sweet smiles have always warmed the hearts of the other gods, but he appears to be unaware of it.
"You're such a sweet boy, Pray," Tyche murmured, cupping Pray's cheek with one of her hands. She glanced at him in adoration before startled at the sound of a loud horn. "Ah! That's the Berserkers blowing the horn to signal the start of the ball!" Tyche screamed as she dashed towards the door. "Best wishes for you and Adrasteia's dance!" Tyche exclaimed as she dashed down the coridoor. Pray would wave at her with a sweet smile before lowering his hand and spinning his chair around to face the mirror. He deeply regretted this, but what other option did he have? Preparations had already been made, and he was terrified of being sent to the Aerial land.
"Graffiti, where are you when I need you the most?" moaned Pray, clutching the cloak of his garments. He wanted to cry so badly, but he kept his tears to himself since he didn't want Tyche's make-up to damage. He'd look up towards the mirror, checking his garments, once he'd calmed down. He sat for a long before choosing to get up because the dance was approaching. He walked with his gaze fixed on the ground, looking down at his white shoes and the red carpet on the floor. "Graffiti," he said before coming to a halt in front of a big door. "Are you prepared, my lord?" a Berserker at the door inquired.
Pray would breath deeply before sighing and repeating, "Yes, I am ready," as the Berserkers opened the door in front of him and the headlights shone down on him. "Lord Pray, God of Prayers, has arrived at the ball!" rang out from the speakers as Pray entered. From both sides, he'd be standing in the middle of a massive spiral staircase. He looked down to the gods on the ground floor before lowering himself to a bow. "Good evening, ladies and gentle gods," he said as he stood up and walked down the stairs. Many gods raised their glasses to him, and the spotlight was fixed on him. This demonstrates how much the gods adored him.
Once Pray had reached the bottom and numerous gods crowded around him, the spotlight would fade out and the regular lightings would come back on. "Good luck, Pray! We're counting on you!" said the Gods. They all wished him luck in obtaining the blessing of the Blood Moon light. "I appreciate that," Pray remarked, a lovely smile on his face. Pray had a good time conversing and eating with the other Gods until it came time to dance. He'd never felt so apprehensive as he approached the dance floor. According to legend, only one partner is permitted to dance at a time, implying that such an event could linger for days until the Blood Moon shines down on one pair.
Pray stood there for a few moments before raising his head to face Adrasteia, who was wearing a mask for compelling reasons. They approached each other cautiously before coming to a halt in the middle of the room. Pray chuckled softly as he rested his arm on Adrasteia's shoulder and extended his hand while still holding Adrasteia's hand. Pray's waist would be touched by Adrasteia's hand. "Why wear a mask? This isn't a masked crusade," Pray said, looking at Adrasteia, who smiled faintly. The spotlight on them would soon turn crimson, filling the crowd with whispers and gasps. "The red moon has never finished so early!" exclaimed a god in the crowd.
"Oh, but it's not done yet," Adrasteia remarked, pulling his hand away from Pray's waist and up his face to remove his mask. Pray watched as Adrasteia removed his mask, and his face turned completely red. When Pray discovered that Adrasteia was Graffiti, he stammered, "G-Graffiti?" "Surprise, surprise, my love," Graffiti said, his face softly grin. "Another god, who is he?" Poseidon inquired from the audience. Graffiti would lock his stare on Poseidon before wrapping his arm around Pray's waist. Graffiti would draw Pray closer to him while rising his and Pray's arms into the air.
"I am a Guardian, Graffiti," Graffiti replied, "and it is a joy to meet you all." Poseidon appeared enraged, but he knew he couldn't do much because Guardians are immortal and the Blood Moon had blessed him. "Tch," Poseidon grumbled, crossing his arms and turning his head away. Graffiti would continue to smile as he turned his gaze to Pray. Graffiti asked quietly, "Shall we dance, my lovely Lord?" "Of course," Pray said, returning Graffiti's smile. As a result, they were able to dance all night without being cursed by the Blood Moon ball.