Tangled

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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

undeniably true. The

an unseen energy, making my skin

voice says from behind me. "It's

her beauty almost ethereal. Silver hair spills over her shoulders, puddling against the ground. And yet

eyes? Bright and colorless. Inhuman.

that seem to hold the secrets of the universe, a gentle smile playing on

I ask, my voice sounding small in the vastness of this place. "Where am

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

trying to make sense of her

understand."

your veins is ancient and potent. This place is a manifestation of that magic, a sanctuary created by your own soul. This world

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Moon Goddess

children to

make no sense at all. "What drought? The world is thriving." At least, that's what

it? I suppose that would

hand towards me, palm up in invitation. I hesitate, my mind reeling. But something deep within me,

identity of this

person she

a tingling sensation spreads up my arm at the contact. Selena smiles, her eyes sparkling with otherworldly light. "Come," she says, gently tugging me towards the pond. "Let me show you the depths

But instead of my usual self, I see a glowing figure, radiant

still.

is wild, like a living fire

difference between a

very rocks around us. "Embrace the magic that is your birthright. It's been locked away

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