Chapter 1151: The Goddess of Moonlight, A Day Spent Together with the Past Whole and the Future Fragment
Day ▋▋▋ - ▋▋:▋▋ ▋▋ - Unknown Location
Luna's eyes met with the silver-haired lady's. However, instead of feeling happy that someone reacted to her, Luna questioned if the woman truly noticed her or if she was just having another hallucination.
It was the result of stress and fatigue she accumulated just in the span of one afternoon after witnessing the atrocities of the early civilization.
Then, Luna flinched. The worried face of the silver-haired woman suddenly appeared before her eyes.
"It seemed that you have witnessed some awful things. I'm sorry."
The beautiful woman spoke in an unknown language. But strange enough, Luna could understand her clearly.
"Come follow me."
The woman grabbed Luna's arm and tugged her to follow.
Luna faltered as she was pulled towards the lake, thinking she would fall into the water. But Luna was stunned as her first step into the water resulted in ripples of light instead of getting wet. One step after another, Luna found herself walking over the water, leaving ripples of light on its surface.
The ripples of light looked beautiful, causing Luna's heart to calm down.
It appeared that the silver-haired woman noticed the change in Luna's emotions as she smiled sweetly.
Not given any choice, Luna was brought to the island in the middle of the lake while watching the woman's attractive smile.
The silver-haired woman was certainly beautiful. Nonetheless, her beauty could not be compared to Mei's. That was what Luna thought. But if there was one thing that made the silver-haired woman stand out aside from her unusual hair color, it was her presence. It was as if the silver-haired woman was the only light in the darkness, making it easy to follow her without questioning anything.
"Um..."
Luna finally uttered her first word to the silver-haired woman.
"Why not sit down first? I know you are tired."
The silver-haired woman made Luna sit on a preserved cut log facing the shore.
With a smile, the silver-haired woman put her right hand over her heart. It made Luna realize something. The woman was wearing the same clothing as hers for some reason.
"This one is named Anaelldenalia. My name meant daughter of the moon. Although I disagree with it, mortals call me the Goddess of Moonlight."
That introduction made Luna really surprised. A Goddess? Really? Out of nowhere? Those thoughts filled Luna's mind. It made Luna remember the Night Goddess they saw inside Mount Muria's underground cathedral.
Somehow, she understood that the woman before her and the Night Goddess had a similar pressure leaking from their bodies. But at the same time, the feeling was also different.
The Night Goddess had a gloomy and scary presence. On the contrary, the Goddess of Moonlight had a mellow and warm one.
"Once again, I'm sorry, Luna. I figured you would arrive today, but even I cannot pinpoint exactly where you would appear. You had to witness the consequences of the current [Observer] neglecting his duties."
"Wha-- You know me?"
Luna could not help but ask after Anaelldenalia nonchalantly mentioned her name.
"Of course. How can I not know? A guest from the future..." Anaelldenalia said while walking away from Luna before turning around like dancing. "And a fragment of mine."
Anaelldenalia smiled, declaring the fact.
"What?"
Luna could not comprehend what the Goddess of Moonlight was saying.
"You can't understand? Or maybe you are refusing to understand?" The Moonlight Goddess said as she approached Luna and sat beside her. "Part of you is me. And part of me is you. I wonder if it would be easier to understand if I say it like this?"
"Or maybe it's more confusing? It really is hard to explain it in the words of mortals."
Anaelldenalia pondered.
"Just think about it like this. A part of me got reborn after my death, and it became part of your soul. Do you understand now?"
"I..." Luna finally replied. "I think I kinda understand. But also don't... Is Miss Goddess saying that I am your reincarnation?"
"Just call me Ellde. And reincarnation? Is that what it is called in the future?" Anaelldenalia tilted her head. "But as I had just said. Just a part. Half of your soul is of a mortal's while the other half is my fragment.
And as I see now, it had yet to fuse."
"Fuse?"
Luna questioned.
"Yes. Fuse. A fragment of my soul is within you. Yet, you cannot utilize my powers. It is because your soul and my fragment had yet to fuse into one whole soul. Although it might be my fault."
The death of the mortals, the suffering of the captured, and the destruction of their homes. It was the result of the contest for supremacy between Godly Beings.
And this night. It was the night before the final stretch of Anaelldenalia's life would begin. It was also why the future her sent the fragment back in time to this very day.
As soon as the next sunset arrived, the Goddess of Moonlight would begin to fight the invader Gods.
***
"You know you are going to die. Why don't you avoid it instead? You're a Goddess, right?"
Luna asked in concern.
"It is precisely because I knew the future that I understood I could not avoid it."
Anaelldenalia replied with a smile.
"There are different circumstances that could give birth to Gods," The Goddess of Moonlight explained. "There are those who were offsprings of Gods, already bearing the aspect and authority in their birth. Some were once mortals who broke the chain of fate and ascended to become Gods. And lastly, those who were born in similar ways to mine, either naturally or created by the will of the world."
"For mortals to become Gods, one must break and overcome their fate, their destiny. For those offspring, they were not chained by it from the start. Some could even bend it to their will. It was the influence they received from their Godly parents."
"Unfortunately, the same case cannot be applied to the last kind. They might be Gods. However, as they were born from nature and the world, they were bound by its rules. They were bound by fate. And unlike mortals, who could deny fate by chance, the Gods born of nature were tightly bound by fate and had no way of going against it."
"If I chose to avoid the death I am supposed to face, it would just change to another. If I want to change my fate, the best way is to just stab myself with her at this moment."
Anaelldenalia raised a weapon and pointed it at her neck.
Luna's eyes widened. One reason was because of the Goddess of Moonlight's melancholic threat. Another reason was that she was horribly familiar with the weapon the Goddess was holding.
"Oh, that's right," Anaelldenalia pulled the weapon away from her neck and showed it to Luna. "You had met her already."
That was right. Luna had already met with that silver-colored keris.
"Melfiss."
Luna said, and the Goddess of Moonlight nodded.
"Unfortunately, I cannot let her meet you at this time. That is why I made her sleep for this night."
Anaelldenalia sheathed Melfiss.
"Since this would be my last peaceful day, will you spend it with me?"
Anaelldenalia asked Luna with a smile.
And seeing the melancholy behind the Goddess' smile, Luna agreed.
From there, the two spent time talking. Luna soon stopped being reserved and began talking to the Goddess as if they were sisters, which the latter truly appreciated.
The night passed, and sunrise came. Under the sun, the two denizens of the night talked happily at the center of the shimmering lake.
But as they said, time passes faster when they enjoy the time they spend.
Soon enough, the next sunset came.
"It's time."
Anaelldenalia sighed as she stood up.
"Are you really going?"
Luna asked.
"There's no point in persuading me," The Goddess of Moonlight smiled. "Since I will die no matter what, I would rather choose to die fighting with my people."
As those words entered Luna's ears, she saw a large number of people arrive on the opposite side of the lake. Those people then bowed, giving respect to the Goddess.
"Our people finally arrived," Anaelldenalia looked at the group of warriors. "Look at the man in front. Familiar?"
Luna was confused at first before turning to the warrior leading the group. Seeing the man, her eyes widened.
But before Luna could open her mouth, her vision blurred.
"It is also time for you to go. Your people also need you. Melfiss and your warrior are also waiting."
At this time, Luna's vision darkened, as she felt an unknown, yet familiar power spread throughout her body.
And when she opened her eyes, what Luna saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.