Fourteen- Caecil and Briar

“Arnkai…” Hyun whispered, “I know this is a lot to ask but, can you help me talk to the Moon and convince him to take you as his vessel? Cepherus needs a Moon Child, and you’re the only one I could think of who can inherit the crowns.”

The Astral Child knew what Baek Ahn wanted was impossible, but the hope in his eyes made it so difficult to say no. Ahn was happy with Chanyeol, he was alive and well, and that’s all he could ever hope for. “Alright, but…BUT,” he warned the other when Baek Ahn looked like he would kneel in front of him, “I couldn’t guarantee that your plan will work, Ahn. I am not strong enough to handle both the power of the moon and stars, even if, for argument's sake, the Moon would agree to your wishes.”

“We’ll try. I will try, because this is the only way I could think of to save both realms. I just want the Daevric folks to live in peace, and us moving back here would cause nothing but war. Cepherus hates the Daevric folk, and I am one of them. I love my people and to Chanyeol I—” Blood rushed to Baek Ahn’s cheeks before he cleared his throat and changed the topic. “I don’t want another war, Arnkai.”

The Astral Child let out another deep breath. Honestly he had lost count on how many he had sighed today. “Alright. How should we do this?”

Despite denying his identity as the Moon Child, Hyun figured that going to the Moon Temple would be the best way to communicate with the Moon itself. No one had ever tried before, because the only time these beings would show themselves was whenever they chose a Celestial Child. From what he knew, he, Luhan and Arnkai were the third Celestial Children.

The Temples of the Celestial Children were in the lower plane of heavens. If they want to reach the gods, they would need to fly higher, and would need permission to enter the heaven’s gates. Many are confused as to why there were Celestial Children, when there are gods already. But the truth is, Cepherus isn’t just the only world out there. Gods were created to govern different worlds. Dea, the queen among the gods, was supposedly the one to oversee this world together with the Celestial Children, but for some reason, on the day he, Luhan and Arnkai were appointed, she was tasked to govern another world, leaving only the three of them.

The Moon Temple lies in the South of the Heavens, adjacent to the Astral Temple. The Sun Temple however covers the northern heavens. The Moon Temple was made with floating gazebos connected with stairs. The skies are always of night sky, and is only luminated by the light of the full moon.

Hyun and Arnkai arrived at the temple in no time. The Astral Child was initially shocked when he saw Hyun shed his Aeri cloak and showed him what he looked like as the Daevric prince. Whatever color he wore, whatever blood he had, Baek Ahn’s elegance always made him stand out from the rest.

The Moon Temple was no longer housed by its servants. It has long been vacated when the power of the moon lay dormant when he died in the eclipse. But unlike the usual silver glow of the moon in the temple, the full moon that greeted them there was as red as Baekhyun’s eyes. And the image brought chills to Arnkai’s spine.

“Come sit with me in the clouds. Let’s meditate together to communicate with the Moon.”

Arnkai followed Baek Ahn’s instructions, and soon they were in their meditative position, facing each other, with their concave hands on their center, left hovering over the right. Baek Ahn led the process, and Arnkai just mimicked whatever he did with their power.

It wasn’t long before their consciousness woke up in a different place. It was very much like the night sky, but this one had billions of stars that seemed closer and brighter than all the stars Arnkai saw in the heavens.

“What…is this place?” the Astral Child voiced out his thoughts. Hyun on the other hand, was not really in the position to answer. He himself was dumbfounded to have been brought to an unknown plane.

‘It’s been a while since I got a visitor.’ a woman’s voice echoed. It sounded like it came from everywhere, her mellow and soft voice resonating softly in their ears. ‘I wonder…what made you two come to this lonely place.’

“We…we came to talk to the Moon.” Arnkai said when he saw that Baek Ahn was in a daze to even reply. He placed a hand on his shoulder, but Baek Ahn seemed to be in trance.

‘The Moon? Ah, it must be what you call him. Here in Cosmos, the Moon has a different name.’

“We are in what?”

‘Cosmos, my dear star.’

Thousands of stars condensed in front of them, and the voice that previously answered them materialized into a woman’s image. The woman was wearing a simple but translucent golden robe. The open collar dropped on her shoulders, showcasing her slender, pale neck and clavicles. Almost half of her chest was exposed, but the woman didn’t seem to mind. The robe hugged her curves like second skin on her torso, but it was loose and open from upper thigh down to her bare feet. Arnkai noticed the golden crown she was wearing, all looked like the shiniest stars in that sky. The woman had long, platinum hair, much similar to his, but hers extends to her feet.

Arnkai felt a sense of familiarity when the woman stopped before him, “How is it that you entered this place without knowing what it is?”

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