His Goddess Luna

The sun began to take its slumber in the east while the dimmed yet full moon started to awaken in the east wing to claim his new territory. As its comrades gradually blossomed, it offered a sparkling wonder, whose glows are that of diamonds which is planted everywhere. The palace crystal lights lit on, providing a spectacular reflection in the resting lake. The garden is full of fireflies that dance along with the calm sensation of the night breeze, creating serendipity in the ambiance. "Selene, it's time to rest now," the maidservant spoke while Selene was busy looking at the second heaven, astounded by the marvelous night wonders. She looked at the maidservant and nodded while extending a heartfelt smile. It's been a long day, and her mother has not yet back from her quest. Days pass in the blink of an eye, and she grows more concerned with each passing day. How could she not when her birthday is near? "Have you not heard? The mating process among mates has been running late for quite some time now. Because of her useless daughter, the moon goddess appears to have lost sight of her responsibilities," Selene overheard one of the maidservant's remarks as they walked by in one of the courtyards, conversing in their spare time. She paused for a moment and smiled faintly when she heard the phrase "useless." She'd heard that term a hundred times, but it still made her heart throb in sorrow. How can they speak ill of her when they know exactly what happened to her at birth? It's not something she wishes she had, though. "Selene, don't be bothered by their words. What important is that you are not ineffective. Don't worry. I'll inform your mother about this matter when she comes back," Ylla, the maidservant, spoke up as they advanced to her room. Selene looked weakly at Ylla, a person she considered a trustworthy friend, and told her not to bother. "Take some time to rest now; don't worry, I don't think it's a huge concern. We have a more significant challenge to focus on right now--dealing with those insignificant statements is a waste of time," Selene uttered before she entered her room. Her tears streamed down on her cheeks immediately as soon as she shut the door. She went into the mirror, unbuttoned her top, and touched her chest; the structure created progresses day by day, a dotted mark that is excruciatingly painful that occurs any time of day. It's like a flaming line draws on her chest, accompanied by intense anguish. After the occurrence of such a thing on her body, her mother told her something which explains why she was different from other goddesses or hybrids whose power manifests after birth or perhaps as they mature. She is unlike any other goddess; her power was concealed upon birth, and it will only be restored if she finds her mate. Growing up, Selene had a rough childhood. She was just a regular being with the term "goddess" as her only title, which gives other goddesses a reason to look down on her. Selene wiped her tears away and zipped up her shirt. She climbs into her bed and pulls open the long curtain on the left side of her bed. The night is her favorite because it is when she feels most at ease; she looks up at the stars in the sky and becomes enchanted by them. 'I wish I could find my mate, God of all beings enlightened my mother so that her vision of my future will become as clear as crystal,' she utters a hopeful wish as she spotted a falling star. Although it is merely an archaic idea held by their servants, she is hopeful that it could be true at some point because she believes that nothing will be lost if she tries, as the old adage goes. After a while, she chose to sleep because her eyes were closing out. Morning came, and the sun decided to rise while bringing its blinding light, covering an orange hue to the palace. A gold-themed castle is appealing to look at, with numerous types of flowers around the immense diversity of space. The scenery's quiet and calm are opposed to what Selene has experienced on a daily basis. She awoke, gripping her chest as the awful ache she'd been experiencing for the past few days returned. It's like an alarm clock that keeps waking her up early in the morning only to torment her. She went to her mini garden to relax and find some relief from the discomfort that she felt. She sits on her favorite seat, watching the streamflow as the water cascades endlessly towards her garden's mini-falls, and it helps her ease. A sanctuary full of miracles allowed her to alleviate some of the horrible sufferings she had to endure every day. "Selene, my beautiful princess, how are you?" the soothing voice of a woman made Selene look up only to see her mother. She had come. She jumped out in joy and immediately went on to her mother while offering a big hug. It's been a month since her mother left, and only has she come back now. She's left in the custody of their servant, but the emptiness she feels in her mother's absence is that of a void space; it's darkness with no light. "How was your quest Mother, have you found him already?" she asked with a hopeful voice. Her mother's silence implies that she has not yet found the man. Selene sighs, a bit disappointed at what had happened. Her once hopeful self started to crumble little by little. She flashes her mother a fake grin to reassure her that she's okay despite the turmoil within her beings, as she always does. Selene asks the God of all beings why her mother, the moon goddess, the maker of destiny, can't find her mate. How ironic could that be? Theia's touch makes Selene's heartaches more, the thought of dying has crossed her mind, and she cannot bear the idea of leaving her mother. Selene was crying in her mother's loving embrace when the pain in her chest started to resurface again. "AHHHHHHH…" "Mother, p-please help me," Selene pleaded, her suffering being twice as intense as before. It feels like someone is sculpting her chest with a fiery chisel. Selene's body moved in every direction as if an evil ghost was possessing her. She crawled in agony on the floor, grasping her chest. The scenario is too heartbreaking for Theia, watching her hopeless daughter. She tried to cast a spell that stopped Selene from moving and hurting herself more and used teleportation in bringing her daughter back into her chamber. Selene kept groaning in pain after Theia placed her on her bed while blood splattered in her beige gown. Her mother's golden string is tied around her hands and feet, hindering her from moving further. Selene's constant cries of misery shattered Theia's heart because she, too, was powerless to alleviate her daughters' agony. 'Have I not known you were to experience this, I should not have fought for him and allowed him to live with her. I'm sorry because the decision I made, which I thought right, leads you to this agony' Theia's tears stroll down at her face as she remembered what had happened years ago. The commotion of the servant in the palace has enthralled the moon goddess attention. She went out to see the source of unrest and saw the wilting of prickly bush ornamentals in the garden. Among all the flowers in the garden, only roses are withering, which is a weird phenomenon that ever happened in the palace. Theia remembers her daughter, and the line formation draws in her chest—could it be rose? She ran back to her daughter, only to find a bright light covering her daughter's chest, as if someone had wielded it, painting a horrific drawing, and her daughter's chest was the canvas. The evil force in Selene's chambers is so strong that even the moon goddess' strength weakens. Selene's screams are harsh as her body begins to weaken from the torment that has suffocated her inner selves. She's gasping for oxygen as her world begins to spin, transporting her consciousness to another dimension. Selene had finally rested after hours of battling the pain that someone had embedded into her. Theia sings a lullaby as she touches Selene's face, tucking strands of its loose hair on her daughter's ears. The serene expression on Selene's face is soothing like she was not battling with pain a while ago. 'Don't worry, my child, I will risk everything to save you,' Theia utters in conviction as she kisses Selene's forehead before exiting the room. In the wilderness where the rivers run dry, and all the flowers wither, Selene stands in between. She looked around only to see dead trees and skeletons of animals scattered everywhere in a deserted place. She calls for help, but it seems like no one can hear her. This is a place of suffering where none survived. Selene started to walk, in a hopeful spirit that she would soon find the light when the dark smoke started to cordon her. 'There is no chance for you to survive. Give up and kill yourself because the pain you'll feel is everlasting.' Selene started to run away from the smoke. The devilish laugh from it echoes in the vast space. No matter how hard she runs, she has no chance of escaping as the smoke follows wherever she goes. 'Hide…Princess…Hide' the thunder of mockery laugh reverberates again in Selene's ears. She decided to stop herself from running as not only does she exhaust herself, but she also has no place to hide from the evil creature. "Who are you? What do you need from me? Show yourself to me, don't hide in the smoke--you evil creature," 'There's always a right time for everything. You'll soon see me when it's your time to die.' "I won't die. You wait, and I'll prove to you that," Selene courageously stated, her heart beating faster. 'You're fated to die, Princess. You're your mother's unpaid price, adios' the smoke suddenly disappeared and the light from above started to appear. Selene woke up from her long slumber, her head was heavy, and her chest was aching. What was that dream means? She shrugged off some negative thoughts and decided to rise from the soft mattress; something fell off when she raised the blanket. Selene looked down only to see a black rose with a black note on it. She picked it up, and her spine chilled after she read the message. 'The Rose on your chest has bloomed. Your end is near, be ready.' Selene quickly went to the mirror as she opened her clothes to see her chest to figure out what the letter meant, and her eyes widened as the hazy line she had seen in the morning transformed into a black rose. What had happened? Will she wither away? Selene's hands became cold, and her forehead began to sweat like falls. She dashes outside in search of her mother. However, all she sees is the wilting of roses that her mother created for her, and she no longer feels her mother's presence. Where are you, Mother? Hopeless and tired as she is, Selene sat down again and cried herself out in misery. How unlucky could she be to die at such a young age? She remembered what the lady in her dreams told her. 'You are your mother's unpaid price.' What does she mean by that? What did her mother do in the past? Or could it be related to that one fateful event? Selene, with a puzzled expression, sighed heavily. She doesn't know what's going on with her life anymore. She still has many things that she wants to experience in this lifetime, yet it seems like fate doesn't favor her at all. Her life is like a sand timer; every breath counts, and her days are limited. She has no idea what happened before, but she feels like her mother keeps something from her. The black rose is a warning concerning her upcoming doom, and she's not yet ready to accept her ill-fated destiny.