Lylia knelt beside me, cracking her knuckles, with a scary look on her face.
"I told you Lylia, I'm fine. I'll survive this" I protested, trying to squirm away.
"Nonsense! Look at you! You're literally falling apart" Lylia stated, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.
"But I don't need a massage – "
"SHH! Just let me help you" she interrupted, already pressing her thumbs into my shoulders.
I winced, "Ow, ow, ow! Lylia this isn't helping! Do you even know how to do this??"
"Of course! You're just tense so relax!" she replied, kneading harder.
"How could I??" I hissed. "Are you kneading dough or a human?"
"Considering how stiff you are… I can't really tell the difference." Lylia replied.
"Damn, thanks," I muttered. "Really, you're so kind."
"Kind enough to fix you up" she spoke, digging her fingers into another knot.
"Perhaps what you meant was breaking me" I winced.
Lylia laughed softly. "If you can still complain this much, you'll live."
Then, the bell from the temple rang. A soft, ethereal light illuminated the surroundings, a long streak of light visible in the temple. Lylia paused her massage therapy and glances out of the window.
"It's the Seleste Hour," she said nonchalantly.
I tilted my head. It was just like back then. "What's that?"
"It's just a prayer session for the priests" she replied with a wave f her hand. "Nothing special"
I stood up. "I'd like to watch it."
Lylia frowned, crossing her arms. "I don't think were supposed to – "
"I'll just watch from a distance!" I interrupted, grabbing my cloak.
She sighed, "Alright do what you want."
I smiled as I headed toward the door.
----
I quietly stepped into the grand hall. The high priests had gathered and I couldn't help but be drawn to the figure walking down the aisle.
It was Exian.
My breath caught in my throat. He was wearing the holy attire – pure white and golden robes with moon patterns shimmering faintly in the light. Long black hair that falls over his shoulder and dark eyes that softens. His presence was so otherworldly that it almost made me forget that he's fictional.
He's so divinely good-looking
[You can't be serious.]
I ignored the voice. It wasn't just his appearance – it was the way he carried himself, as if he was not a priest but I couldn't point out what it is. He reached the front, kneeling with perfect posture and began to pray.
[Is this really the same person? The one who seems so sarcastic and overly proud at times?]
"Tsukiyomi" Exian murmured, "guide your people. Guide those who walk in the shadows, those who seek the light, and those who find themselves lost between both. May your moonlight guide their steps and may they never stray from your grace."
His words echoed in the room and then the light grew stronger, his voice shifted slightly, taking on a more serene tone as if addressing something – or someone much older, much more ancient.
"Seleste, the nine-tailed one." Exian continued, his gaze lifting toward the streak of light. "I offer tribute, not for your favor, but for balance. Keep the peace between worlds, for your power is way beyond the gods. Do not let your presence shake the fragile fabric of our reality. I ask not for the power of the heavens, but for its guidance – so that we may protect the world from the chaos your influence might bring."
He really suits the role of the divine priest.
Exian's gaze shifted from the statue of Tsukiyomi and from the streak of light and instead turned toward the entrance. His eyes sharpened as if recognizing something – or someone – distant yet undeniably present.
The room fell silent as Exian began to speak, his voice laced with reverence.
"Creator," he starts, his tone soft yet filled with a deep respect.
My eyes widened.
"I offer my devotion, as always – well currently to be honest."
[If I were the god he's referring to. I'd be offended by that tone.]
I chuckled. Of course that's how he is.
"Though I stand here before your chosen path, I must ask for guidance. Your power flows through me and I serve not because I am bound, but because your essence has touched mine. I am a vessel for your will, yet I feel your influence grows stronger with each passing moment. May I serve you better, Creator. May your vision lead me into the light I have yet to fully understand."
The priests gathered exchanged glances, their faces a mix of confusion and curiosity. The head priest, standing in the altar seemed visibly startled by the shift in Exian's prayer. The murmurs among them grew louder, their eyes darting between Exian and the door where I stood, unsure of how to take in what had just happened.
I looked at him in disbelief. "But Exian what the heck are you doing…"
Exian's voice softened, his eyes still fixed on the entrance. "May your will be done…forever."
The room was thick with tension, the priests unsure of what to make of Exian's words. There was no mention of Tsukiyomi, no invocation of any known deity. Only a direct prayer to someone- or something unseen.
I placed my hand on my forehead, the weight of the moment settling in as I stood hidden in the shadows.
One priest couldn't hold back his confusion any longer. "Divine priest" he called out, "Have you been worshipping someone other than the god who blessed you?"
Another priest added in with a voice tinge with concern. "This is not like you. Is this a new devotion?"
"This is blasphemy, isn't it? Divine priest what is this? Are we not meant to honor Tsukiyomi alone?"
I could hear them and I couldn't blame them either – after all, Exian's words had broken what they had all known. Exian remained silent and calm, though his gaze lingered at the door.
The head priest took a step forward. "This is…unexpected. What are you implying, Exian? Who is the 'Creator' you speak of?"
Exian turned his attention back to the altar, his expression unreadable. "I speak of nothing but truth" he said softly. "It is not something you need to understand yet."
The priests exchanged nervous glances, clearly unsure of what to do with him anymore.
"Divine priest, we are to follow the moon god's will. Is this not our sacred duty?" another priest asked.
"I've decided" Exian began, "that from this moment on, don't refer to me as a divine priest if you expect that I'll follow Tsukiyomi's will." He paused. "I've decided to follow my own and I choose to leave for something greater, something that holds the truth I have long sought."
The room fell silent. I could see their faces morphing into shock.
"Exian…what are you saying? You can't… You can't just abandon your path. Your loyalty to Tsukiyomi – "
"I don't need to be bound by loyalty to that god." He declared. "I have put my faith in someone else and my loyalty follows." Exian's eyes shifted briefly to where I stood in the shadows.
"Nonsense!" the head priest snapped. "You cannot turn your back on the god who granted you that ability and tier! This is sacrilege!"
Exian didn't flinch. "Call it whatever you want. It doesn't change the fact that I've made my choice. This is my path now and I will walk on it, regardless of what you all think."
The head priest glares at him. "Confine him. lock him in his chamber. It seems our divine priest needs cleansing."
The guards slowly began to walk towards Exian.
"Is this how you treat someone who dares to step away from your false truths?" Exian's voice was low and I could see his body tense, the aura around him solidifying as though he were preparing to resist.
I stepped out, now standing in the entrance. Exian's gaze met mine and as he looked back at the guards, he lowered his hands, stepping back slightly as if he had already accepted what was about to happen.
"You can lock me away but it will not change what I know." Exian glared at them.
The guards hesitated for a moment but they have to follow the head priest's command. But before they could move in, I found myself stepping forward.
"Wait!!"
The head priest's gaze met mine. "Stay out of this, child. This is not your matter."
"No, this is wrong! You can't just confine him for speaking his mind!"
Exian looked at me, his gaze softening for a moment. The room was silent and the head priest's eyes narrowed.
"You've been influenced by him, haven't you?"
I shook my head, my voice stronger now. "I'm not following anyone. I just don't believe what you're doing is right."
"This is blasphemy!" the head priest spat. "But if you wish to follow him into darkness, then so be it. We will see if your path leads to salvation or ruin."
Exian's lips curled in a slight, almost sad smile as he steps forward. "I don't know her.
I don't know this person you think I'm influencing and I don't want her dragged into this."
The head priest seemed taken aback. "You speak as if you are untouchable but you are nothing without the god who gave you power." He snarled. "We will cleanse away that evil inside you."
"Your betrayal will not be forgotten." He added as the guards finally dragged Exian out.