I sucked in a breath. Just one look at her, and she took my breath away.
A nudge pulled me back into the crowd. It was Seth; he pulled me back before a group of beings came forward to kneel and greet the goddesses. Seth held my wings to him so they didn't brush some of the cupids. He sighed, and a shaky smile played with his lips. "Gotta be careful with that, Vienna."
"What.. what did I do?"
"Nothing just gotta be aware of your surroundings sometimes." He gave a playful wink that I grumbled at.
"Can't really blame her, Seth," Bridget came forward, followed by Rory and Casper. "This is her first time encountering all the goddesses in one room."
"But.. one of them isn't here?" I turned back to her, my eyebrows raising.
She laughed awkwardly. "Right, but let's focus on understanding them first and leave that topic out for now, okay?" She brushed my shoulder before signaling us to follow her and the other beings.
I couldn't help but think about it. What is so wrong with the Lord Goddess? Every time she was mentioned, my feelings shifted. I should just ignore it. I don't believe that constantly questioning everything around me is a good idea. The numbness I felt was a stark reminder of what overthinking could do to me. I also had no intention of fainting in front of the goddesses again.
The beings began to disperse away from the goddesses, returning to the dance floor to continue the party. They made sure that the little girl was the main attention, letting her dance a few rounds with the goddesses—well, with one goddess.
The Euphorian Goddess appeared to be the only one truly dancing with all the beings around her. She stepped away from the other goddesses to take the center of the dance floor. The beings respectfully created a space for her, but she pulled them forward with a loud laugh. They joined her, laughing and dancing freely, moving about without a care in the world.
The other Goddesses moved to the far end of the dance room, which was opposite the entrance and at least four steps higher than where they stood. This area featured large stained-glass windows, adorned with vines and thriving plant life. The most striking element was the vibrant cherry blossoms. Amid the chaos of the magical, moving beings, I could see the blossoms blooming.
The Mother Goddess stepped forward, opening herself to the moment. With a gentle, silent hand, she scooped up the flower in her palm. The flower opened willingly for her, revealing the vibrant insides of its petals that rested firmly on her fingers. She turned to the Attendant Goddess, offering a small smile as she placed the bloom in her hair. The Attendant Goddess, receiving the delicate flower, said nothing; instead, she looked away and took in the crowd, with the Mother Goddess on one side and Janus on the other.
The Warrior Goddess walked over to join Arden and the group of adolescents by her side. She radiated such immense power that my body trembled slightly as she passed by. Among all the goddesses, she was the tallest; even Janus, who was very tall, did not surpass her size.
I also noticed that as she passed, I caught sight of her armor more closely. To my surprise, it had scratches and cuts. It was shiny and all new from far away, but up close, it looked so much more used, like she had been in many battles.
I forced my eyes shut and cursed myself for thinking too deeply about things. Right now was not the time, I already made it clear to myself that I was to stop my questions and just focus on what was happening here and now.
"Hey, let's go dance now!" Rory moved from behind us to stand in front while speaking.
"We should finish eating first-" Bridget jumped in with a slight annoyance in her voice.
"Don't try and stall-" Rory cut in once again. I think they like to do that often.
"I agree with Rory," Seth suddenly chimed in, earning a 'yay' from the redhead. Bridget looked at him a bit offended at his encouragement, so Seth quickly put his hands up. "I feel like you should let yourself lose, that's all! You don't have much confidence in yourself, Bridget. Have some fun."
"I don't-"
"I agree you should have fun, too," I spoke up, seeing the fear hiding behind Bridget's bright brown eyes. She looked unsure and slightly insecure. I remembered what Seth told me the last time we were here: She didn't know how to dance. Was that it?
I held a hand out to her, waiting for her to grab onto me. She did with shaky movements and a small smile. Rory bumped my shoulder when running past us, they were holding Seth's hands.
"Let's go!" They yelled before disappearing into the crowd.
I turned to follow, feeling a slight pull from Bridget. "I don't know.. I can't dance, you know that; I'll just slow you down-"
"I'm not leaving without you." The response was quick, but the smirk playing on my lips stayed longer. She seemed unable to respond; her mouth gaped open, but no sound escaped. Still, she smiled back and allowed me to pull her along.
For me, I didn't exactly know much about dancing either. I knew something about it, and the first step was to not focus on anything but the person next to me. Which was Bridget, so I let the music fall to the back of my mind while I took her hands into mine.
She gave a shy smile as I let my own body move with hers. She followed timidly with my movements slowly but surely. She was slow at first, very slow, bobbing around with stiff and unstable movements that mixed well with my own jerky movements. I slowed for her to catch herself, seeing as she wasn't feeling comfortable right now.
So I decided to switch my approach with her, moving from the other side to separate our hands. She looked at me with confusion until she realized what I was doing. With a timid sigh, she decided to let herself loose. With me not holding onto her, she began to move around freely without restraints, tossing her head around and bobbing her movements so they weren't so stiff. I realized that she was copying what I was doing with her own subtle movements so it didn't feel forced.
I wanted to laugh at how cute it looked, but I held back a snicker. The music pumped with an infectious beat, and the crowd hollered, moving closer as they filled the dance room. Bridget and I pushed toward the center, bumping into Seth and Rory, who were already in the middle of the room.
They held onto each other to spin around in circles, using their legs and arms to move around to the rhythm of the upbeat music. Rory was the one leading the blonde boy, moving around with him in their hands. Seth didn't seem to mind. He pulled up his sleeves to have a much stronger grasp on Rory.
They laughed in joy, swinging around the other beings who joined in on the fun. The music was changing ever so slightly in tone to accompany everyone's actions. Every time they smiled and clapped along, holding onto one another to join in on swinging their partners around, the music lifted higher in beat and repeated over and over.
I turned back to Bridget, slowing down slightly when she was moving more freely. She had no stiff movements whatsoever. She wore a joyous smile; she looked like she was in her own element, having fun. I didn't expect her to do it so quickly. But would you look at that?
Seth and Rory came to my side, sliding past me. Seth laughed out loud. "Yes! That's it, Bridget!" He came over to her side, sliding into her rhythm with his own movements until they both fell into the same steps. Rory joined them, nudging me slightly to join in on the fun.
Unlike them, it took me a while to fall into their rhythm, making my limbs more awkward to move. I didn't seem to care; I let my thoughts leave and focused on my dancing friends in front of me.
Casper joined our group, bouncing playfully beneath my feet to get my attention. I noticed his bright blue eyes, partially obscured by the feathers scattered across the transparent, glistening floor. I laughed along with his barks, joined by several howling voices that echoed with the pitbull.
It was a while until my mind came back to this reality. I didn't even realize I let it leave so quickly. My mind surfaced back to the friends who danced around in front of me. Was I getting too distracted? Too lost in my own mind? But I was much further from it. I was trapped in my mind. I didn't want to think; I just wanted to act...
-And I was until someone pulled me away from this freedom.
It was a gentle tug, the soft arrival of a large being beside me. I was pushed backward into them, feeling the firm, toned skin against my bare back. I leaned back and met a striking pair of blue eyes looking down at me.
It was Arden. The large angel moved past me, her steady gaze fixed in my direction. It wasn't a hostile look—quite the opposite, actually; it felt cool and reassuring. I followed her gaze until she finally looked away, walking past me and heading toward the Warrior Goddess at the other end of the room. I watched her leave, captivated by the way her large blue cape swept behind her as she wrapped it around her neck.
I watched her leave, seeing the glint in her eyes reach the smirk that rested on her lips. I stiffened, noticing that she was directing it at me for a second, then it was gone. She turned her attention to the beings in front of her, bowing in respect to the Warrior Goddess, who patted her head with a slight smile on her lips.
"Hold onto me, dummy!" Rory laughed from where they tussled with Seth, who held onto their shoulder as they spun around. Seth said something that was muted to my ears by the music and glaring eyes.
I did notice that Seth had latched onto Bridget, forcing her to move along with Rory's wild and rough movements. The small barks from Casper; who rolled around from under them and followed their rhythm, made me sure they all were good without me. I didn't know why, but I wanted to be with her..
I turned away from Arden, who had lost interest in me and looked at Janus, who returned my look. I gulped; my palms became sweaty and sticky at the mere sight. I took a look behind me, catching sight of the large doors open.
I looked back at Janus as she spoke quietly to the Attendant Goddess. Then, she walked along the side of the dance floor toward the doors. I noticed her give me a small nod, so I decided to make my way out into the halls.
The space was empty, with only the distant sounds of music filling the air. The echo of my footsteps resonated through the large, wide halls, sinking into my chest, which was filled with warmth. I quickly realized that it wasn't just my footsteps I could hear; someone was behind me.
My breathing hitched, and my body soon stiffened even more than it did before. I stopped, hoping that it wasn't a guard, it couldn't be.. it...
"Vienna," a soft hand landed on my shoulder.
I let out a long sigh, realizing it was Janus. Her warmth wrapped around my shoulder, drawing me closer for a comforting look. She smiled at me, watching as my fear and anxiety dissipated within a minute.
"You seem tense," she said softly, walking forward with her wings tucked neatly to her side. While in front, she looked down at me. "Do you not like the dance room?"
"It's not that I don't like it; I just feel like I'm crowded," I let out a scoff. "Well.. I am, and the last time I was there, I passed out. I just have bad thoughts.."
"I do not wish for you to think so sourly," Janus shook her head. When she looked back up, I saw something glint in her eyes. She turned back down, facing me. "How about I show you something?"
I allowed a small smile to form on my lips. "What is that something?"
"Something you will always think about," she bent over, a hand outstretched to me. "It will always be on your mind."
With a flutter of excitement, I accepted her hand, feeling her larger, warm grasp envelop mine. It was a gentle yet reassuring connection. "I trust you."
She smiled at that, her eyes softening as I tightened my hand around hers with a shy smile. Giving a soft nod, she turned around, her hand still holding tightly onto mine. Without saying a word, she led me out of the large hall. I knew I shouldn't look around too much; the bright interior would hurt my eyes, so I focused on the goddess in front of me.
I watched her walk quietly, her hand tightly wrapped around mine. Her flowy clothes glided over the glass floor, making no sound as she moved. Even when her large wings brushed against the ground, they were silent. The goddess remained as quiet as ever.
Where were we going? I didn't know, but I trusted Janus. All I knew was that I trusted her.
I was so captivated by her long, golden hair that I found myself unable to look away. When the sun grew brighter, I winced and turned my face from its glare. We were outside, and I had to duck behind her to shield myself from the bright sunlight. Janus let out a little giggle and slowed down, allowing me to stand beside her.
She stopped after a few more steps. It felt like we got here so quickly, but I understood what I was staring at.
It was the garden..
How?
I recognized the garden, even though most of its beauty was obscured. I could see that the river wound its way back to a much larger pond area. In fact, it wasn't really a pond anymore; it had grown significantly. It resembled more of a river's end—an expansive body of water with a few lily pads scattered across its crystal blue surface.
In the middle of the scene stood a small gazebo that appeared tiny compared to the vast expanse of water surrounding it. Made of wood, it was quite different from the nearby palace, yet it featured ornate golden trims and bright teal accents that resembled a wood pattern. The area was surrounded by trees, which helped keep it concealed, along with a few fences that ended at the large oak and maple trees overhead. Beyond where I stood, it seemed there was a much larger forest.
Flowers bloomed and flourished along the green, grassy fields, creating a vibrant landscape where water and greenery intertwined. Vines climbed onto a few fences and wrapped around a small gazebo near the water, perhaps mingling with moss or seaweed that had grown on them.
The water was so clear that I could almost see the sandy bottom and how deep it was. A few koi fish and salmon swam by. Among the lilypads, I noticed small frogs jumping into the water with a gentle splash. A few logs rested in the river, anchored to the ground and nearby trees. Some turtles lounged there, silently enjoying the nature.
I stood there in awe, and my jaw dropped. The scene looked different somehow. The densely packed trees reminded me of a forest where Bridget and I ventured into the field with Casper, but everything felt altered. Perhaps it was the variety of colorful flowers, the trees, or maybe the animals and tiny insects buzzing around, pollinating the blooms.
Perhaps it was the water flowing gently past small rocks, where the forest lay like a cascade. The rocks were small yet tucked neatly among the trees, as if they belonged there..
That's it.. it all belonged here.
"You've admired it for a long time." The goddess spoke from above me, pulling my attention up to her. She met me with a smile.
"This.."
"It's a bit of a sacred place. Not many angels or anyone are allowed to be back here. The Mother Goddess comes here a lot along with the cherubs to keep it lively."
"Sacred?" I looked gaped at her, my jaw tightening and my chest flying in circles. I turned to watch the water ripple up on the ground where we stood, it was a bit shallow where we stood, but further held deeper water. "Then why did you bring me here?"
She was silent, and the air around us was filled with a profound meaning. I heard her soft chuckles before she turned to face me completely. I looked back up at her, feeling my face grow warmer than usual. She reached out her hand once more, a loving expression in her bright yellow eyes. The golden sparkles that shimmered in her hair danced away in the gentle breeze.
I felt my wings twitch slightly as I closed my lips to suppress an excited sound. Janus stood patiently, her beautiful eyes fixed on me.
After another brief moment of silence, I gently placed my hand in Janus's larger hands.