“What are children like you doing in such a holy place?”

  Governor Luan stood atop the stairs behind them. She maintained her smile, her calm demeanor, as she slowly descended down the steps. Cozy watched, frozen like a statue, just to not cause further trouble. She took a side glance at Teddie, and he was not doing well. That boy was shaking with nervousness that was clearly visible.

  They waited in silence, as the governor finished descending the steps. Her face unchanged, she leaned downwards and patted the two kids on the head.

  “I’m not upset. I’ve tested at least one of your bloods,” she looked at Teddie. “While it was not truly divine, I can see how someone of your kind would be drawn to this place.”

  The governor then stood up straight and looked back at the stairs. “You two did a number on the poor security guard, though. She’s been asleep for a while.”

  “If you’re not mad, then what’s this all about? How did you find us?” Cozy finally spoke up. She was still a little bit intimidated, but the Governor didn’t seem to have any particular ill intent at this moment. Teddie seemed too terrified to speak, so someone had to take over.

  “Well, this is a restricted area, unfortunately,” Luan said. “I just got a few… signs, from Midnas, is all. You can tell certain things from just a few ambient clues.”

  The governor walked back towards the steps, and took a casual seat on them. She looked back at the two kids, as if her eyes could read their souls.

  “But, since I suppose divinity did call you here, it wouldn’t do any harm to tell you that your instincts were correct. This is the most divine chamber in the city. There is a reason why the church was built here,” Luan continued to explain. “Hasn’t been used in quite a while, though. Thirteen years, it’s been. Even longer than I have been governor.”

  Cozy and Teddie looked at each other. Even if it wasn’t a direct statement, that softly confirmed that the two of them were onto something at least. Though, there were a few other questions that lingered in their mind.

  “If it’s the most divine place in the city then…” Cozy asked. “Why is it buried behind a storage closet?”

  “And…” Teddie continued. “Why hasn’t it been used at all? Wouldn’t it be important?”

  “Well. As I said, it has been out of use even before my time as the governor, before I was called by the Moon… but, this place was used for governors, priests, and royalty to… touch the Moon, in a sense. This area had a sense of true divinity… so, that is what it was used for.” Luan looked around sadly. “However, there was an ethical concern about using this holiness in a concentrated way… perhaps too much power was given to this area. That is why… this chamber became only a place for Midnas, and nobody else.”

  “Really?” Cozy asked. “Are you sure that’s it?”

  “I was not Governor at the time, and I do not get briefed on these things. My focus was on building our current divinity, not the events of the past. I am sorry I cannot help you further,” Luan said. Her smile had finally turned into a frown, though it quickly returned into a smile again. “However. Due to both of your natures… I suppose I can let you meditate here, for a moment. It’s the least I can do.”

  “Our natures?” Teddie asked.

  “Divinity, or something. It’s fine, let me think,” Cozy said. The girl turned her back to Luan and admired the grand chamber. She still got an uncomfortable feeling even thinking around here, but she stomached it down.

  She walked around, the crystalline floor clanking against her feet. She tried to think, how could she use the divinity of this place to her advantage. It was just a place, after all… but one that was closest to God.

  Maybe that splitting headache she was currently feeling meant something. Though, it did make it hard to even think.

  Cozy sat down on the glowing floor, sitting next to the small waterways that surrounded the room. The faint blue light reflected off of Cozy’s own eyes, as she stared back at the water. Then, she looked at the moon through the small singular window that escaped this room. What did the world want from them?

  Teddie sat down next to her, holding his stuffed bear.

  “I used to meditate a fair bit,” Teddie said. “It connected me to my animal friends. Maybe it can connect us to the moon as well?”

  “It’s a bit hard to meditate for me,” Cozy said. “I can’t feel a ton of… tranquility when my head feels like it’s splitting open.” The girl clutched her head. She couldn’t focus, or think, or anything else. “Do you know any quick remedies? A song?”

  “My song is for physical healing,” Teddie said. “I dunno about something like a headache. Maybe some water will help you? That’s what I do sometimes. This water is also divine, so maybe it’ll heal you.”

  The young boy reached down to the glowing water and cupped it in his hand. He looked over to Cozy, and lightly applied it to the girl’s head. The divine water dripped down her face, though Cozy tried to steer it away from her makeup.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  It didn’t feel like anything, though. Certainly didn’t make her headache any better, just made her face a little bit wet.

  “Uhh… thanks, Teddie, but I don’t thi-”

  Suddenly, Cozy’s headache became worse.

  Cozy couldn’t finish her sentence before it felt like she was suddenly warped into a different location. In her eyes, her perception warped before an eternal darkness came around her. She felt like she was outside, in a place where she could float without her wings. It felt cold, and the ground glowed beneath her. A faint glow, as various craters surrounded her. An endless white expanse was the ground as far as the eye could see, and only one thing stood out in this empty plain. She looked down at herself, and her hands were glowing. They were also transparent, as if she was taken out of her body entirely.

  A man, blonde with long hair, tied back into a braided tail, stared back at her. He was draped in a green cloak and robe, with a sword sheathed at his side. His orange eyes stared back at hers. They both had the same color.

  “What…? Where am I? Who are you?” Cozy asked.

  “Hm. I thought you’d never come here, considering how much you ran,” the man said, walking towards her. He kneeled down to get onto Cozy’s level, and looked at her. “Welcome. I was expecting you, though I didn’t know when.”

  “Wait, wait, wait. You didn’t answer my questions. Answer them!” Cozy demanded.

  The man sighed and shook his head, before speaking two simple words to Cozy. “Turn around.”

  Cozy turned around, and behind her she saw something incredible. A massive orb in the sky, not dissimilar to the moon… but still different. Much bigger, colored blue, green, and aqua. The light that emanated from this thing reminded her of the flora in the woods. She blinked, taking in the massive sight… before realizing.

  “Is that… the planet?”

  “You’d be right,” the man said. “It’s quite the view from up here.”

  Cozy’s jaw dropped. She was overwhelmed by the sight of something so massive… so big. It was staring right back at her, the entire world that she lived on… all in the distance. But then, if that was the planet… then…

  “Am I on the Moon?”

  “You are also correct, again,” the man responded. “I haven’t had visitors here in such a long time.”

  “Wait, wait. How did I… what happened…? How am I here?” Cozy asked. She didn’t understand this. She had known this religion for all her entire life, yet she couldn’t comprehend what was happening to her.

  “You’re only here for a short amount of time. Though, I suspect you’ll be back soon. It seems to be necessary for your journey. Bring your friends, next time,” the man said with a cheerful smile. He pat Cozy on the back.

  Cozy’s surprise didn’t disappear. She was still looking at the area in sheer awe. However, she had one final question that she asked which was left unanswered.

  “If that’s the planet, and this is the moon… then who are you?” Cozy turned and pointed towards him. She had a guess in her mind, but she wanted to be sure.

  “I think you already know. What other man would be on the moon?” he said. Suddenly, Cozy’s vision began to distort again. Everything suddenly began to seem far away, once more, as the man began to distort into the distance. However, she managed to hear and see one more thing. A pair of glowing wings, forming behind the man, not too dissimilar to her own.

  “I’ll see you again, Cosette.”

  And she fell back into the depths of her mind.

  “Cozy! Cozy! Are you alright?”

  Cozy returned to reality, with the feeling of Teddie shaking her body rapidly. Her senses finally began to return to her body, as she managed to regain control of herself. She moved her arms, then her legs, to finally confirm that she was back on the ground.

  “Am I… back?” Cozy asked.

  “Oh thank goodness!” She felt Teddie wrap his arms around her. “I thought something bad happened! You weren’t responding and… I was… I was…”

  “I’m… I’m back…” Cozy reassured Teddie, accepting the hug. Though eventually, they separated.

  “What happened to you?”

  “I went… somewhere. The… the moon… I need to go back,” Cozy said. Within that second, she ran over to the water streams and splashed the water on her face. She did it over and over and over again, but nothing came of it.

  Both Teddie and Governor Luan seemed confused at her actions. But she needed to try, there was something there… and she needed to achieve it. But… she just couldn’t.

  “You went to the moon?” Luan asked, walking behind the two of them. “Amazing. I am not quite sure what would cause that reaction but… perhaps…” Luan summoned forth some water from the sides, placing it in a cup and pushing it towards Cozy. “Perhaps you should mix your blood with the tears of-”

  “No. No no no. I’m good, right now, at least,” Cozy adamantly denied that offer instantly. “I need to tell the rest of my friends. Plus, even if that did make me divine… then the other three need to be divine too, right?”

  “I suppose so, you may take the test when you deem fit, then,” Luan said. She pulled away.

  “Wait, so you actually went to the moon? Did you find something? Anything?” Teddie asked.

  “I… I think I know something important. There was a man… on the moon. He told me to come back… with my friends. We need to find Adelyn and Edward, I need some time to parse this,” Cozy said. The headache from returning to this room was beginning to creep back to her, and she wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

  “Okay, okay,” Teddie said. “Relax. Miss Luan, I think we’re going to leave for now… but could we have access to this place in case we need it again?”

  “Hm,” Luan closed her eyes to think for a moment. “Your circumstances seem… special, so I will allow it. Come see me again, if you wish to return here.”

  “Thank you… Miss…” Teddie nodded. He wrapped Cozy’s arm around him and supported her.

  “I hope your journey to divinity is successful, as I believe Midnas would want your success as well. Good luck,” Luan responded. She began to walk out of the divine chamber. Cozy and Teddie followed behind her, going up the stairs to finally leave the glowing room.

  As she left, Cozy’s mind was still stuck on what had happened to her. She didn’t fully understand it, and she barely even knew what happened. But, it wasn’t something she was ever going to forget.