Aiden stood in front of the giant statue of the Lumen Temple. It was a veiled woman holding a giant tome, presenting it to the world. An eternal flame burned atop the tome, banishing all shadows.
Although the gates were just a few feet away from him, Aiden remained standing outside. He had his hands in his pockets while staring at the statue of the veiled woman.
"An omniscient god, huh?"
Despite coming here for guidance, Aiden didn't want to rely on some all-knowing god. It felt like he would be a puppet, guided by someone other than his own free will.
"Greetings, outworlder," a voice spoke to him, soft and gentle. Aiden blinked, thinking it was Lumen herself. "I'm over here."
Aiden lowered his head, seeking the source. He found a veiled woman standing in front of him. She was a lot shorter than him, which made him miss spotting her.
"Uh, are you talking to me?" Aiden asked as he looked around.
"Is there another outworlder here?" the short, veiled woman asked with a laugh that rang like a bell's chimes. "My goddess invites you into her temple."
"Your goddess… Lumen?" Aiden asked. "That sounds scary."
"My goddess is anything but scary," the woman said. "She told me that you were standing outside her temple, hesitating about seeking guidance. She wants to meet you."
"Uh, your goddess wants to meet me?" Aiden asked. "Now that's really scary."
"I will lead you to the chamber."
"No way, Jose," Aiden said as he backed away. "I'm not following someone I just met into her goddess's abode."
"She knows everything about you, Aiden," the woman said without turning. "Meeting her would be the wisest thing you do."
"Goddammit, she knows my name," Aiden said as he grabbed his head while turning toward the statue. "Uh, I meant a different god. You are not damned."
Aiden saw no reaction from the statue, and turned to see the woman almost disappearing into the sea of people. He cursed under his breath and rushed after her.
The woman seemed to float rather than walk. She navigated the temple with ease, crossing streams and gardens, navigating complex halls filled with bookshelves.
Aiden struggled just to follow her.
Then, the woman stopped in front of an ancient-looking door, filled with inscribed runes and dust. The door seemed to be a separate section of the library that even the incense feared defiling.
"My goddess is waiting for you inside," the woman said. "Please give her my regards."
"You're not coming along?"
"Mortals are not supposed to meet gods," the woman said.
"Do I look like a vase to you? I'm mortal too," Aiden protested.
"For some reason, my goddess said it would be fine," the woman said as she bowed to Aiden. "May Lumen illuminate your future and past."
"What about my present? Huh?" Aiden asked, but the woman walked away. As he began considering jumping out of the window, the door let out an ancient howl as it began sliding open.
Mist escaped from within, diffusing into the library. Aiden looked at the small tunnel behind the door, hesitated, and then sighed.
"I guess I need to do this," Aiden lowered his hands and allowed them to dangle at his sides. Then, he gave them three squeezes. A long breath escaped his lungs. His expression then became unreadable.
Aiden stepped through the door.
[ALERT: Divine Presence Detected.]
[High-tier divine entity confirmed: Lumen, the Omniscient.]
[System interference risk: Critical.]
[Countermeasure Activated: Stealth Protocol.]
[All system functions entering temporary suspension.]
[User access restricted until divine presence dissipates.]
[Warning: Manual activation disabled.]
[Attempting to bypass may trigger divine scrutiny.]
[Estimated Downtime: Unknown.]
[Stay alive. Do not provoke the god.]
[Wishbound System entering hibernation…]
The windows appeared in his view, glowing in the darkness of the tunnel before slowly fading away. Aiden felt his heart clenching in his chest, but proceeded with steady steps.
His footsteps rang loud inside the tunnel, echoing as they traveled ahead. Light came from the end, and once Aiden stepped out of the tunnel, he found a starry night awaiting him.
Beneath the starry night stood a figure, wearing a white cloak and a veil. Her figure was ethereal, radiant light shining from her outline. She carried a large tome, burning with eternal fire.
Aiden stood a few feet away from her.
"Greetings, outworlder," the woman said, her voice coming from every direction. It was soft, yet overbearing. Gentle—yet commanding respect. "Thank you for accepting my invitation."
"I didn't have a choice, did I?" Aiden asked back, his face betraying no emotions. "What can I do for you?"
"That should be… my question," she said. "You came here for guidance, and I would like to offer it."
"I indeed thought about asking for help, but I changed my mind," Aiden said. "I would like my choices to remain my own."
"Your choices will always be yours—but knowledge can guide you to make the right ones," Lumen said. "But my guidance will not dictate your cultivation path—as that is your own."
"Then, why did you invite me here?" Aiden asked with confusion.
"Because there is another matter that requires my guidance."
"If it's about the best way to grill hyena meat, then I'm still working on that. I don't want any shortcuts. This is a man's destiny."
The goddess was left speechless.
"No," she said. "It involves a man who has visited you earlier today."
Aiden frowned.
"You want me to go on that mission?" he asked, almost scowling. "I don't care if you're a god or not—I won't listen to anyone's commands."
"I know that you would not, but I want you to know that your destiny begins in that dungeon. You will find the answer to a question that you have stopped asking."
"Cut to the chase, Lumen," Aiden said without any fear. "If you have anything to tell me, then spit it out."
The goddess was silent once more.
"There is so much hatred inside you toward the world," she said with a sigh. "And that explains why you arrived in ours—you are the destabilizing factor that we needed."
"Enough riddles."
"The mission that the Guild Master is planning to undertake will take you to a dungeon that once belonged to a secret order."
"And how is that related to me?"
"The secret order once ruled the world from the shadows—led by a single man with ashen hair and a scar."
She allowed her words to settle.
"It was led by your father."