The stars were glittering brightly, ever so slightly moving in the navy sky as they lit up the land below. There was a breeze in the wind, not as soft as the usual one, swaying the ferns and tall grass, and the leaves of mighty trees.
One person stood alone, their dark blue robe almost blending in with the background, if it weren't for the speckles of what seemed to be stars drizzled on its back. Silky, long white hair moved with the wind, each strand glimmering like diamonds, her pearl white lashes closed as she quietly focused.
The woman gazed up, studying the dark sky with eyes that challenged the beauty of a sapphire stone itself. Though through her beauty, there was a feeling of concern.
In front of her, the waters of the lake were not calm, and instead catching on small ripples and tides. Unsettled waters of the lake didn't necessarily mean a bad thing, but it indicates something is going to happen.
However, when paired with the beautiful, yet ominous sight above, the woman couldn't help but feel a bit worried as to what was awaiting her.
The lake often rippled, it was not a foreign sight.
But the stars, they were a different story.
From behind the woman, a light flashed briefly as she felt the presence of another being entering her realm. She turned her head, seeing the familiar sight of a wolf's luscious white fur.
Her lips parted to greet her, but was interrupted by a second burst of light, that faded away to reveal a wolf with a pelt darker than night.
She smiled, stepping around to face the two beings fully, her voice gentle and warm as always as she greeted them.
"Ziahra, Akama, welcome. What brings the two of you here?"
The two wolves shared a glance, looking at one another with a disgusted expression. Ziahra was the one who moved first, padding up to the woman and lowering her head out of respect, and also with hopes that the goddess would give her a pet.
"(Y/N) and Levi met..." The white wolf explained, softly nudging the goddess' hand with her snout. She understood what the wolf wanted, and raised her hand to gently stroke the feathery fur right behind the ears, smiling as she heard a content sigh coming from Ziahra. "I didn't want to see any nasty stuff, so I came here."
"Is that so?" The goddess brought her sapphire eyes to the ebony wolf standing further away. "Then I take it your reason is the same?"
Akama nodded, giving his sleek pelt a quick shake right before walking up to the goddess. The woman smiled, placing a hand on the wolf's battle-scarred face, stroking it with her thumb gently. But then--
Splash!
She paused, hearing how hard the water from the lake had hit the bank, causing an unknown shiver travelling down her spine. But the goddess has been alive for thousands of years - she has mastered the art of pretend.
Neither the wolves noticed the abrupt stop of her hand, nor did they pick up the scent of anxiety that the goddess was silently going through. Of course, that is how it should be. Gods are supposed to be immortal beings with grand power, a being for others to lean on. Gods have to be a strong pillar for others, and so, revealing their moment of weakness is and will never be an option.
Satisfied with the pets and scratches from her, Ziahra and Akama moved away, laying down on the soft soil by the agitated lake. The goddess too mirrored their actions, sitting down on a smooth stone in between the wolves.
She glanced subtly at the two, wondering whether they could see the rough tides of the water. When she saw no signs of it, she simply relaxed in her seat and gazed at the lake like nothing was happening.
"So," the goddess began to talk in her sultry voice. "Any stories to share, my wolves?"
This is what the three always did when they came together. Lay down by the lake in peaceful silence or exchanging stories about their vessels and what they went through. The Moon Goddess didn't want silence - she wanted a voice to accompany her as she stared at the lake growing with rage in front of her. Silence was not something she yearned for as of this moment.
"I forgot to teach (Y/N) how to use our sense of smell," Ziahra spoke out, ending on a tone of embarrassment.
The black wolf on the other side threw her a mocking look. "Nice one. Keep it up."
"Don't rub it in," Ziahra snapped, her ears flattened back as she shuffled her paws. "She had a lot to learn, and such a basic and simple thing didn't cross my mind."
"Just admit you forgot," Akama snorted, rolling his eyes.
The goddess tried to ignore the sound and sight in front of her, choosing to focus on the conversation between the wolves.
"How did she do?" She asked Ziahra, looking at the white wolf with curious eyes.
The white wolf thought for a second. "She didn't get it right the first time, but she figured it out quickly. Also, I feel guilty about forcing her to do what I want..."
Through her thick lashes, the goddess watched as Ziahra laid her head on her paws, looking at the ground sadly. Mistakes happen, and during times like these, all she could offer was just soothing pats to help them feel better.
As she comforted Ziahra, the goddess turned her head to the other wolf. "And what of Levi, Akama?"
A drop of water splashed on the goddess' foot, catching her attention for a heartbeat before she looked back at the dark wolf about to speak.
"Levi is... Levi," he muttered. "Lately, he's been avoiding my power, almost blocking it out even. He still talks to me, but he refuses to use my strength."
"Is he afraid?" She asked gently to the wolf.
Akama twitched his ear. "He doesn't admit it, but yes. I feel fear from him everytime he's forced to use it."
"Then does he not trust you?"
The black wolf paused, his ruby eyes focusing on the ground as he replied in a low voice. "He doesn't trust the source of my power."
The Moon Goddess stopped her strokes, Ziahra raising her head to glance at Akama as well. Both were looking at the dark furred wolf in concern.
"Levi is traumatized," he continued, closing his eyes. "He is afraid of the consequences that may come if he uses my power. It isn't a bad decision. His heart is swayed and his control is unstable right now, it's best if he stayed away."
Ziahra narrowed her eyes. "Yes, but the fear of borrowing your strength will only grow over time if he keeps that up."
"I know," Akama growled, scratching the ground in frustration. "I'm trying to do something about it, but it's hard when I catch a glimpse of the terror he feels."
The water was splashing and swirling harshly now, wetting the ends of the goddess' robes. She kept her focus on the two wolves, keeping up her facade.
"Perhaps the return of (Y/N) can help settle his wavering mind," she told him, watching as he brought his head to gaze at her.
Akama lightly argued with the goddess' words. "If anything, I feel like he'd refuse my power even more to prevent the past from repeating itself."
"Yes, he might," the goddess agreed, pausing when the sound of the water got too loud for her to be able to hear anything. "But (Y/N) is stronger and far more capable now." She glanced at Ziahra. "I believe she can help soothe him."
The white wolf nodded at the woman. "I'll inform (Y/N) and see if she can help out somehow."
"Really?" Akama muttered, looking at the other wolf.
Ziahra furrowed her brows. "Your vessel has to trust you, Akama. Levi has to trust that you can control how much power you can lend without triggering Nightmare. You have to comfort and reassure him as well."
"Easy for you to say," he grumbled, flattening his ears to his head. "I don't exactly know how to comfort people."
The Moon Goddess looked down at her two wolves proudly, watching them help and console each other, putting away their hate and spite for a moment. It was enough to block out the sound of the thundering water and how it splashed on her body.
"You have to try," Ziahra insisted, shuffling closer to the black wolf. "As his wolf, it's your duty to protect and support him, physically and mentally. Be there when you feel like he needs you, even if he doesn't call out for you. I can only ask so much from (Y/N), you have to do your part as well."
Akama huffed, narrowing his crimson eyes. "Why are you bringing up (Y/N) so much anyways?"
"Are you blind?" The she-wolf deadpanned. "(Y/N) loves him, unconditionally. She would do anything to help him if she knew how much of a struggle he was going through. And Levi loves her as well. You can feel it, right?"
He reluctantly nodded. "She's the only person he's ever allowed to get so close."
"See?" Ziahra pointed out. "She can help, but things will only get better if you help him as well. So make sure you do it!"
"I'll... try." Akama looked away, gazing blankly at the ground again before letting a small scoff. "Our vessels, they're inseparable now. At this point, the two of them might actually become mates--"
A sound of an explosion came from the lake, cutting Akama off and startling the goddess as she stumbled back in her seat, watching as the water burst into the air in a deathly fountain. The shockwave hit her hard, her robes and hair flying backwards as she was almost flung away.
"Moon Goddess!" Akama cried out, jumping to his feet as he gazed at the frozen goddess in panic. She was sitting still, eyes glazed as she stared at nothing in front of her.
"Akama, stop!" Ziahra howled, stopping the wolf from shaking the woman into consciousness. "She's havi--.....isi-...n!"
The goddess couldn't hear what they said after that, all that filled her ears were roar of the water crashing all around her. This wasn't the first time she had experienced something like this, but it never fails to scare her.
Water rushed wildly around her, like a massive force was constantly slamming down, creating more and more chaos. The goddess stood her ground, using her arms to block out the water from her eyes. She glanced up, a cold shiver running down her body.
The stars were moving.
Fighting back her fear, the Moon Goddess forced herself to face whatever that was about to be shown to her.
Visions of the future can be calm and heartwarming, but this raging storm meant that tragedy was soon to ascend on the land of the living.
She had to pay attention.
The stars were scattered, scrambling frantically with no pattern or order. From the waves below, a dark shadow rose, eating the glimmering stars and turning them into blood-red dots in the sky that was frozen in one spot.
A strong feeling of panic and fear racked the goddess' mind and heart as she witnessed thousands of stars losing their light, turning into the color of blood as they stopped moving and became mindless decorations in the darkening sky.
A wave full of emotions washed over the woman, overwhelming grief and anger being the two most dominant out of them all.
She took a shaky breath in, watching as only a handful of white stars were left in the midst of red. The shadows approached the remaining lights, ready to engulf them as they did with everything else.
Despair filled the goddess' heart, all sense of hope vanishing from her mind as she watched the stars be surrounded by the darkness.
But, there was a change of emotion from somewhere within her. Like she had accepted defeat and was ready to give it all up.
The Moon Goddess' sapphire blue eyes widened as she saw one of the stars dove down, similar to a shooting star, straight into the enraged water below. Into the source of the shadows.
Light blinded her eyes as the falling star drowned in the water, silencing everything around her. She closed her eyes, feeling them stinging painfully after being exposed to such a bright light abruptly.
When she opened them again, the goddess was hit a feeling of loss and sadness like never before. Her heart ached in pain, her body trembling as she lost the strength to stand and fell down on the ground.
For the first time in thousands of years, tears formed in her gemstone eyes, slipping out and sliding down her face.
She gasped for air, the sadness she felt was so great that she was left breathless, kneeling down on the grassy floor. She brought a hand to touch her face, feeling her wet cheeks and eyes.
She was... crying?
A goddess... shedding tears?
The white haired goddess looked up to the sky, feeling her heart shatter into a thousand pieces when she saw the night sky... empty and barren without any stars.
This emptiness, this silence. In exchange for peace, she had lost everything.
"-ess!"
"-dess!"
"Moon Goddess!!"
The woman blinked her teary eyes, the sight before her returning to its usual one. Starlit sky, calm waters of the lake, and a soft breeze in the air.
It was like nothing had ever happened.
Ziahra and Akama looked down at their goddess' tear stained face, blue and red eyes both shining with worry.
"Are you okay?"
"...Yes."
The goddess quickly regained her composure, standing back up and wiping away the mess on her face. What she had just seen has shaken her up in a way that she has never experienced before.
Refusing to let her wolves see her in her moment of weakness more than they had already seen, the goddess stepped forward and walked past them, gazing down at the still water of the lake that reflected her face perfectly.
Visions of the future were usually vague and abstract, with the chances of having different interpretations of it high. They don't always happen the way one envisioned it.
But, this time, it was clear enough.
The ripples of the water, slowly getting worse over time told her that trouble was soon approaching.
The stars scrambling showed confusion, fear and panic of the situation.
Shadows turning the white stars into red had be interpreted as many things. Death, sickness, loss of hope - whatever it was, it was going to influence a mass of people.
The falling star... a sacrifice? But what the goddess couldn't understand is why she herself felt so much emotion for what happened.
In all her previous visions, she had only seen things unfold before her. This time, it felt as if she was dragged in it as well. The grief and misery she felt as she looked up at the empty night sky was so devestating that it had brought her, a god, to tears.
She closed her eyes, letting all the information she's gathered roam freely in her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. All sorts of words floated in her head, trying to pair up with a certain one that would match. Those that felt incorrect withered away, leaving only a few left out of the hundreds.
They began rearranging themselves. One to the front, the other to the back. One beside another, the next after one other.
As the puzzles lined itself up, a picture was slowly beginning to form. And when the last piece was placed down, the goddess felt a click in her mind and a certainty from her answer.
Chains were launched from all around her, locking the words in that specific order.
"Moon Goddess...?" Ziahra called out softly.
The goddess whirled around, a serious expression on her face as gazed at the contrasting colored wolves standing together.
"Ziahra, Akama, listen closely," she said, the tone of her voice low and sharp.
The wolves listened intently. "I have just seen a vision of the future."
Akama's ears perked up. "Was it bad?"
The goddess nodded briskly. "The future awaiting us is a grave story and a tragedy that will impact the lives of many. Not only that, but something has happened in the realm of the living that has locked fate once more."
Ziahra took a step forward, her eyes widening in fear the moment she heard two words she wished she would never hear again. "Locked... fate?"
"Relay the new prophecy shown to me to your vessels," the Moon Goddess ordered the wolves, clenching her hands beside her as she took a deep breath, reciting the words that had formed in her mind as a result from the terrifying vision.
"A great change has been seen. The world we know is coming to an end."
The goddess paused, taking in a shaky breath as she said the last part of the dark omen.
"A soul will fall for the rise of a new era."
——— My Alpha: Fin ———