The large doors groaned open, the sound echoing through the grand space like a wailing spirit. Camille winced, the screeching noise rattling her nerves and making her brain shudder. As the echo subsided, she cautiously took a step forward, keeping herself slightly behind Azzel for a sense of security.
The moment her foot crossed the threshold, her breath hitched. Her eyes widened as they drank in the opulent splendor of the ballroom. Glittering seashells adorned the walls, forming intricate patterns that climbed fifty feet up to a vaulted ceiling. The ceiling itself was a masterpiece—a swirling mosaic of the sea and its many creatures, some familiar, others alien and unknown. The shades of blue shimmered and shifted as though alive, the images spiraling toward the center, where an enormous chandelier of pearls and diamonds hung delicately. Sunlight streamed through the broken crystal windows, catching on the chandelier and casting a kaleidoscope of reflections across the room.
Camille couldn’t take her eyes off it. The chandelier seemed to pulse with light, its pearls glowing faintly like trapped moonlight, its diamonds refracting rainbows that danced across the seashell walls.
“My lady…” Azzel’s voice broke through her trance.
Startled, Camille flinched and realized her mouth had been agape. Her cheeks flushed as she snapped it shut. “Sorry,” she murmured, quickening her pace to keep up with him.
But her eyes refused to stay forward. Every inch of this place was enchanting, lifting her spirit in a way she hadn’t felt in years. It was as if the room itself was healing her, scrubbing away the grime of her past in Primavera Town and leaving her soul polished and renewed. Her fingers grazed the smooth surface of a seashell embedded in the wall, its iridescence warming her fingertips.
She paused, her gaze drawn to the shattered crystal windows. Their jagged edges were harsh against the soft beauty of the room.
“Those were struck by lightning,” Azzel explained casually, his deep voice pulling her attention back to him.
Camille blinked in surprise, wondering what kind of storm could breach such a sacred place. But before she could ask, Azzel stopped abruptly. Her gaze followed his to the altar ahead.
It was breathtaking, a centerpiece of both beauty and power. The throne at its center gleamed with luxurious details—corals, pearls, and diamonds intricately woven into its design. Atop it rested a crown of golden corals and sea stones, glinting like sunlight on water. Behind the throne loomed a fierce statue, its cold and imposing figure carved from dark stone. The statue’s eyes were inset with hypnotic blue diamonds, glaring down at the room with an unyielding presence.
Camille swallowed hard, recognizing the figure as the mystic Kraken. Its massive tentacles extended outward, forming part of the throne’s backdrop, while sculpted seahorses and mermaids adorned its base.
Her heart pounded as her eyes shifted back to the empty throne. If the being I mistook for a god was not him… then how much more powerful will the real one be?
“Grand Azzel.”
The voice drifted from the shadowed corner of the altar, smooth and commanding, yet laced with an ethereal, almost melodic quality that stirred something deep within Camille. It was like a sound she had heard in her dreams, hauntingly familiar yet entirely otherworldly. The moment it reached her ears, she froze, every part of her being suddenly aware of the immense weight in the air.
Her pulse quickened, the storm inside her intensifying. Her anticipation collided with a deep, gnawing fear that she couldn’t shake. Her breath came in shallow, jagged gasps, and the world around her seemed to blur, her focus narrowing to the echoing cadence of the voice. She instinctively took a step back, as though she could retreat from the very force that was pulling her toward something... monumental.
Her mind raced, a flood of thoughts crashing together in a cacophony of confusion. A god. The realization hit her like a tidal wave, drowning her in existential dread. This is it. This is the moment. The god I’m supposed to meet. Who is he? What am I supposed to say? What if I’m not worthy? The questions churned in her mind like a storm too strong to quell. Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound echoing in her ears as if it was too loud for the room. Her legs felt weak, as though the very ground beneath her might give way.
Everything she had known, every ounce of her existence, felt suddenly small, insignificant, as if she were a speck in the presence of something vast and incomprehensible. How had she ended up here, standing on the precipice of a meeting that could shatter everything she believed? Who was she, to face a god? How could she possibly be ready for this? Her body trembled slightly, betraying the turmoil inside her.
Azzel’s steady presence beside her barely registered, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos tearing through Camille’s thoughts. Her world was crumbling around her as she was forced to confront the weight of destiny that had been thrust upon her.
“Kaiden.”
Azzel’s voice, steady and respectful, seemed distant, as if it came from the edge of a fog, the words lost in her overwhelming spiral of emotions.
Her mind floundered in the vastness of her own fear, and yet there was something else—a strange pull toward the voice, as if it spoke to something primal inside her. Was this the voice of divinity? She was about to meet something that transcended human understanding, and the gravity of that realization suffocated her. Was she ready for it? Was anyone ever truly ready to stand in the presence of a god?
The air thickened, pressing against her chest, as her every instinct screamed that she had stepped too far, into a realm where she didn’t belong.
Camille’s breath hitched as a figure stepped into the light, his movements fluid and deliberate, like water flowing over smooth stones. It was him—the man from the waterfall, the one she had mistaken for a god.
Kaiden’s presence was even more striking up close. His silver hair shimmered in the fractured sunlight like liquid moonlight, each strand catching the light as if it were alive. His skin held a faint opalescent sheen, and his cheekbones curved high above a sharp jawline softened by full lips, elegant and graceful. It was a face both delicate and sharp, ethereal yet commanding.
But it was his golden eyes that truly stole her breath. At first, they remained closed, as if he were shielding the full force of their brilliance. When he finally opened them, the molten gold within seemed to spill into the room, cascading over its every shadow and corner. The warmth they radiated was paradoxical—both soothing and overwhelming, as if the light itself carried a weight that pressed against her chest.
Then it struck her—his eyes had changed since the waterfall. There, under the golden sunlight, Kaiden had looked like an angel, his features bathed in warmth and familiarity, almost human in their perfection. But here, in the ethereal light of this chamber, he was different. The softness she had seen before was gone, replaced by a cold, almost divine detachment. His beauty now felt sculptural, like a statue carved from some celestial stone, immaculate yet untouchable.
The realization sent a tremor through her. She had thought Kaiden was the god she was meant to meet. How could someone like him—a being of such ethereal perfection—be anything less than divine? And yet, here he was, a servant to someone higher.
Her mind raced as she tried to grasp the implications. If Kaiden, with his impossible grace and golden eyes that felt alive, was merely a protector… what kind of being awaited her? Her knees threatened to give out under the weight of her own thoughts. Could she even endure the presence of someone on a higher plane than Kaiden?
Camille’s chest tightened, the questions clawing at her resolve. What would it feel like to stand before a true god? Would she crumble, insignificant in their gaze? Was she ready for this?
Kaiden seemed to sense her turmoil, the faintest flicker of something—sympathy, perhaps—crossing his face. His golden eyes softened, their light dimming just enough to let her breathe again. For a fleeting moment, he seemed almost human, a bridge between the overwhelming and the familiar.
Even so, the thought lingered: if Kaiden’s presence could unearth her fears and leave her breathless, how much more would the god she was destined to meet demand of her?
Her legs wobbled under the weight of his gaze, and she clenched her fists, trying to ground herself. How could someone look like this? she thought, her mind spinning. It wasn’t just his appearance—it was the way his presence wrapped around her like a siren’s song, tempting her to let her guard down completely.
Kaiden inclined his head slightly, his golden gaze softening as it settled on her. “So… it is her,” he murmured, his voice like velvet laced with honey. The gentleness in his tone caught her off guard, easing some of the tension in her chest, even as his words sent her mind spiraling.
Camille’s lips parted to speak, but no sound came out. Her throat felt dry, and her heart thudded loudly in her ears.
“She will meet His Majesty when the time is right,” Kaiden said, addressing Azzel now. His voice remained calm, but there was a hint of protectiveness in his tone. “For now, she should rest. Grand Azzel, I trust the arrangements are complete.”
Azzel nodded, glancing at Camille with a reassuring smile. “Of course. I have prepared everything as we moved along.”
Camille tore her gaze from Kaiden and turned to Azzel. “Wait,” she said, her voice shaky but firm. “Why doesn’t… the god want to see me now?”
Kaiden’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly, a flicker of something she couldn’t quite name—pity? Hesitation? “His Majesty is a being of great wisdom and power,” Kaiden said softly, his tone almost coaxing, as if to soothe her fears. “He chooses his moments carefully, Lady Camille. You will meet him when it is meant to be.”
Camille frowned, her wariness growing. There was something in the way they spoke about this god that unsettled her. If this being was as powerful as they claimed, why would he avoid her? Was he testing her? Or was there something more ominous at play?
Kaiden must have noticed the doubt flickering in her violet eyes because his voice grew even gentler. “You mustn’t worry,” he said, his gaze holding hers. “This place is meant to welcome and protect you. Rest now, Lady Camille. All will be revealed in time.”
His words washed over her like a warm tide, soothing yet somehow disarming. Camille found herself nodding despite the nagging questions swirling in her mind.
“Come, my lady,” Azzel said, offering her an arm. His steady presence felt like an anchor, grounding her in this sea of uncertainty.
As she turned to follow Azzel, Camille glanced back at Kaiden, unable to help herself. He was still watching her, his golden eyes soft yet unreadable. The corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile, one that felt both comforting and enigmatic.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, unsure of what else to say.
Kaiden bowed deeply, his silver hair falling forward like a shimmering veil. “Anything for my lady,” he replied, his voice carrying a hint of reverence that made her stomach twist with unease.
As they left the room, Camille couldn’t shake the feeling that Kaiden’s kindness masked something deeper. And the god’s absence—it felt deliberate, almost like a test.
Behind her, Kaiden lingered in the shadows, his golden eyes closing once more as he exhaled slowly. His lips moved in a whisper too soft to hear.
“We may have a chance to see the light again…”
With that, he vanished into the darkness, leaving the grand room empty and silent.
Camille blinked, surprised. “You prepared a room for me?” she asked, her voice small and uncertain.
“This castle holds thousands of rooms,” Azzel said with a faint smile. “But I made sure to choose the perfect one for you.”
Kaiden’s golden eyes softened slightly as he observed the exchange, though his expression remained guarded. When Camille turned to thank him, Kaiden’s gaze locked with hers. For a moment, time seemed to still. His golden irises widened, as if something unseen passed between them—a connection that neither of them could fully understand.
“Anything for my lady,” Kaiden said finally, bowing low. His tone was polite, yet there was an unspoken tension behind his words, a careful restraint.
Camille’s cheeks flushed, and she stammered a quiet, “Thank you.”
As she turned to follow Azzel, Kaiden remained behind, watching her disappear through the door. Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly, his voice a faint whisper to the empty room.
“We may have a chance to see the light again.”
Then, as quietly as he had appeared, Kaiden faded back into the shadows.