Chapter 194: Meeting the Moon Goddess
The walk through the higher dimension was serene yet awe-inspiring for Tessa and Bandel Blue. As they followed Solaris, they couldn't help but marvel at the surreal beauty of this realm. It was unlike anything they had ever imagined.
Despite the calmness, Bandel Blue remained vigilant. The creatures here weren't ordinary. Even the smallest ones radiated an intimidating aura, their presence alone capable of striking fear into the hearts of lesser gods.
They passed a creature resembling an elephant, only it was far grander in scale. Its silvery tusks gleamed as though forged from molten light, and its massive ears flapped with a grace that belied their size. Bandel Blue noted that this creature, though majestic, could effortlessly obliterate a lesser god without exerting itself.
Further along, they encountered an enormous bat, its size dwarfing any earthly creature. Hanging lazily from a colossal tree whose crown disappeared into the endless sky, its wings were vast enough to carry an entire skyscraper. The bat's presence was ominous, yet it seemed indifferent to their passing, as if their existence wasn't worth acknowledging.
As they journeyed deeper, the environment began to change. The once temperate air grew colder with each step, an unnatural chill settling over the landscape. If Solaris's lair radiated a heat intense enough to melt stone into liquid, this new lair emanated a cold so absolute it could turn the strongest materials into brittle ice.
Fortunately, Solaris's protective shield kept the biting cold at bay. Tessa and Bandel Blue continued walking calmly, feeling only a faint chill that served as a stark reminder of the power surrounding them.
After some time, the landscape began to shift again, and they found themselves standing before a colossal luminary body. It hovered majestically, its radiant glow illuminating the world around it. It was the moon, or at least, something far greater—a celestial manifestation of beauty and power.
Tessa's breath hitched as she gazed at the moon. Its resplendent appearance held a magnetic allure, evoking an indescribable longing to run toward it, to bask in its brilliance. Bandel Blue, though equally captivated, forced himself to remain composed, though his instincts screamed at him to kneel in reverence.
As they approached, the moon began to move, spinning gracefully on its axis. The motion was hypnotic, like a celestial dance performed just for them. Then, it stopped abruptly, its light focusing on a single spot.
The moon's surface shimmered, a cascade of silvery light spilling into the void as the celestial body seemed to peel apart at the center, revealing a figure of unearthly beauty. She emerged with the fluidity of a whisper, her presence an overwhelming tide that made even the stars feel dimmer in comparison. The Moon Goddess had arrived—a being whose very existence seemed to embody elegance and an unknowable divinity.
Her hair, a cascade of silvery strands, flowed like liquid moonlight, dancing gently in an invisible breeze. Her eyes, luminous pools of pale light, captured the very essence of the heavens, holding secrets too vast for mortal comprehension. She moved with a poise that could silence storms, her every step a symphony of grace and command, as though even the fabric of reality shifted to accommodate her will.
Tessa's breath caught in her throat, her awe-stricken gaze fixed on the goddess. Her heart pounded like a drumbeat, not out of fear but the sheer weight of standing before such a transcendent being. Bandel Blue instinctively lowered his head, his posture caught between reverence and trepidation, his usual bravado visibly drained. Even Solaris, the higher god who had led them here, seemed subdued, his radiant form dimming slightly as he stood in solemn deference to the moon's sovereign.
"You swore not to speak to me for another century. Are you finally tired of keeping malice?" the Moon Goddess—Lunara—said, her voice a harmonious blend of exasperation and wry humor. "Or have you come crawling back, Solaris? Again?" Her tone carried the sharpness of reproach, yet there was an undeniable familiarity to it, like a spouse chastising a partner for their predictable missteps.
Solaris flinched, a flicker of guilt crossing his face before he managed a placating smile. "Honey, we have guests," he said, gesturing subtly toward Tessa and Bandel Blue, whose wide-eyed stares betrayed their disbelief at witnessing such a mundane interaction between divine beings.
Lunara's gaze shifted to the pair, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied them. Her sharp, divine features softened ever so slightly as she took in their bewildered expressions. Tessa and Bandel Blue, still frozen in place, couldn't reconcile the ethereal goddess before them with her almost mundane bickering. Solaris, who had bathed unceremoniously earlier, and Lunara, who now argued like an exasperated wife, shattered every expectation they had of celestial beings.
But then Lunara stilled, her movements halting as if caught in an invisible current. A strange connection tugged at her soul, pulling her focus sharply toward Tessa. Her luminous eyes narrowed, studying the young woman with an intensity that grew heavier with each passing second.
Recognition flared in her gaze—a spark of familiarity that quickly blossomed into something deeper. Her expression shifted, transforming from casual curiosity to a maelstrom of emotions: shock, disbelief, and a profound ache that shimmered with unspoken longing.
"It's you…" Lunara's voice broke, trembling like a fragile melody. A single tear escaped, sliding down her radiant cheek like a fragment of the moon itself. "My youngest daughter."
Solaris blinked, his usually commanding demeanor faltering. His lips parted, a question poised on the edge of his tongue, but he caught himself. For once, the fiery god surrendered to silence, stepping back to let the moment breathe, heavy with unspoken truths.
Tessa stared, her mind a whirlwind of disbelief and cautious hope. Could it be true? Yet, as her gaze locked with Lunara's glowing eyes, a warmth unlike anything she'd ever known stirred deep within her—a connection ancient, unshakable, and instinctively right. It wrapped around her heart, urging her forward. A mother's love and a daughter's instinct bridged the gap between doubt and certainty.
Her feet moved as though guided by some unseen force, carrying her closer to the goddess with cautious urgency. Lunara mirrored her, each step deliberate and hesitant at first, as though they feared breaking the fragile spell of this moment.
Then, as if surrendering to an invisible pull, they both broke into a run. Their collision was not simply an embrace but an outpouring of emotions too vast for words.
Tessa clung to Lunara with a desperation she didn't fully understand, tears cascading down her cheeks as the dam of her emotions burst. "There was a woman… Ashley Duve… she pretended to be you. I— I have a half-brother, but he's from Dad's side…" Her words tumbled out in halting fragments, muffled as she buried her face in Lunara's shoulder.
Lunara's arms enveloped her, trembling as she stroked Tessa's hair. The once-fearsome Moon Goddess, who had ended the entire dark ages of Kaelrian history, now stood sobbing like a mother rediscovering a lost child. Each tear that fell from her radiant eyes seemed to carry the weight of centuries of longing.
""It's all right, my child," Lunara whispered, her voice quivering with emotion. "You're home now. With me."
The gentle cadence of her words wrapped around Tessa like a lullaby, and the sweet, ethereal fragrance of Lunara's presence filled her senses. It was a scent unlike any other—comforting and pure, evoking a deep sense of safety. Tessa felt as though she had been cradled in the softest embrace, a feeling she hadn't known for years. After a lifetime of running, hiding, and surviving on Earth, she finally felt at peace. She was home.
As their embrace deepened, a quiet transformation began to unfold. Tessa's hair shimmered faintly, the dark strands gradually giving way to glimmers of silver. The change was subtle, almost imperceptible from a distance, but up close, the streaks of silver seemed to glow softly, marking the awakening of her Kaelrian legacy.
The goddess's bloodline stirred within her, altering her essence in delicate yet undeniable ways. It was as if the dormant power in her veins had been waiting for this moment, responding to the embrace of her divine mother. Though the transformation was just beginning, it carried a quiet promise of something far greater yet to come.
Bandel Blue watched in silence, his earlier confidence thoroughly humbled. Solaris stood off to the side, his arms crossed, his face unreadable. Yet, despite his habitual smirk, a glimmer of curiosity—and perhaps concern—flickered in his fiery eyes.
For now, the questions could wait. A reunion millennia in the making had begun.