Tangled

Unshift 209

Unshift 209

209 Ava: Moon Goddess (II)

209 Ava: Moon Goddess (II)

Traveling like this is nothing like appearing in Sister Miriam's home. O

It's just a rush of white and nothing.

A lack of sound.

There's no wind. No air to breathe. And yet I don't suffocate in its absence, almost as if I don't need to breathe at all.

Even so, I'm falling.

I can feel it deep in my soul.

Until I crash into a nebulous something and the world coalesces around me again.

The world blinks into focus, and I find myself somewhere... else. Somewhere decidedly not my room at the lodge.

I spin slowly, taking in my new surroundings. Towering rock cliffs encircle me, their jagged peaks reaching into an impossibly blue sky, uninterrupted by even a wisp of cloud. The air carries a crisp, clean scent, untainted by the usual odors of civilization. It fills my lungs with a refreshing coolness that I've never felt before, Something I may never experience again.

In the center of this hidden vale, a crystalline pond sparkles, its aqua waters more vivid than any I've seen before. The surface is still, like a polished mirror reflecting the heavens above. I'm drawn to it, my feet moving of their own accord until I stand at the water's edge.

As

209 Ava: Moon Goddess (1)

Stare into the mesmerizing depths, a thought drifts through mind-that this place is imbued with magic. It's a strange

one that feels undeniably true. The very

with an unseen energy, making my skin

melodic voice says from behind me.

over her shoulders, puddling against the ground. And yet there's no frizz.

colorless. Inhuman. And

hold the secrets of the universe, a gentle smile

I ask, my voice sounding small in

The woman

step closer, her movements fluid and graceful. "I am known by many names," she says, her voice like a soothing lullaby. "But you may call me Selena. And this," she gestures to our surroundings, "is

make sense of

understand."

smile widens. "You are a being of great power, Ava Grey. The magic that flows through your veins is ancient and potent. This place is a manifestation of that magic, a sanctuary created by your own soul. This world has been screaming

17:37

215

Ava: Moon Goddess

children to bring

all. "What drought? The world is thriving." At least, that's what the news

suppose that would be

me, palm up in invitation. I hesitate, my mind reeling. But something deep within me, a part of myself I've always known existed but never fully acknowledged, draws me toward

this

she can be in

and a tingling sensation spreads up my arm at the contact. Selena smiles, her eyes sparkling with otherworldly

surface. But instead of my usual self, I see a glowing figure, radiant with an inner light. Selena's reflection stands beside mine, her own form shimmering. She's a vast

still.

wild, like a living fire in

between a master

seeming to echo from the very rocks around us. "Embrace the magic that is

3:5

Ava: Moon Goddess