Chapter 4: Of Midnight Secrets and Unspoken Feelings
That night, I couldn't sleep.
The Temple was silent, bathed in soft moonlight, the kind that makes everything glow like it's been touched by magic. I stared at the carved ceiling above me, counting stars through the open skylight.
One... two... seventeen... wait, that one's moving—
Nope. Just a glowing bug.
I sighed, turning over for the hundredth time. My bed was too soft, the pillows too cloud-like, and the silence too loud. It wasn't like home.
Actually... this whole place still didn't feel like home.
The "Divine One" treatment was nice at first—people bowing, carrying my tea, calling me "Your Lightness" (which is both flattering and slightly confusing). But deep inside, I felt like I was playing dress-up in someone else's life.
A soft knock interrupted my overthinking.
Knock-knock.
"Hey... are you awake?" a familiar voice whispered.
I sat up, blinking. "Zehn?"
"Y-Yeah. Don't freak out! I didn't sneak in, I swear. Okay, I did sneak in, but like, politely."
I tiptoed to the door, pulled it open—and there he was. Zehn, in his casual training clothes, hair messy, holding something behind his back.
"What are you doing here?" I whispered, eyes wide.
He lifted what he was hiding: "Emergency midnight snack delivery. Temple cookies. No blue squirrels in sight."
I tried not to smile. Failed. "You broke curfew for cookies?"
"And to check if you were okay," he added softly, gaze flicking to the floor. "You looked kind of lost earlier."
I blinked. No one had asked me that since I got here. Not really.
"I... couldn't sleep," I admitted.
"Me neither," he said, stepping inside. "Too quiet. Also, I think the training captain cursed my pillow."
I laughed, closing the door behind him. We sat on the windowsill, legs dangling over the edge as stars twinkled above like curious little eyes.
"Do you ever feel like you're not supposed to be what everyone wants you to be?" I asked.
He looked at me. "All the time. They want me to be this perfect knight one day, brave and noble and smart." He paused. "I can't even grow a beard."
I giggled.
"But you..." He turned toward me, his voice softer now. "They say you're chosen by the heavens. You literally glow when the sun hits you."
I looked down at my hands. "I didn't choose to glow."
There was silence. A kind of understanding silence.
Then, suddenly, he held up a cookie. "Here. Sacred remedy for emotional confusion."
I took it, smiling. "You're surprisingly wise for someone who chases squirrels."
He smirked. "Don't let the wisdom fool you. I once tried to fight a tree because I thought it moved."
We both laughed until our sides hurt, and then there was quiet again—but the kind that feels warm, like shared secrets in the dark.
"Can I tell you something weird?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded.
"When I saw you today… even before I knew who you were… I felt like I'd met you before."
My heart skipped.
"Like, in a dream or something. Maybe another life." He rubbed his neck, clearly embarrassed. "I know it sounds dumb—"
"It's not dumb," I whispered. "I felt it too."
We looked at each other then—just a quiet gaze under the moon, two souls with their own cracks, slowly fitting into each other's light.
He reached out, hesitantly brushing a strand of hair from my cheek. "You're not just 'The Divine One' to me, you know."
I swallowed. "Then... what am I?"
He opened his mouth—then paused, looking away with a sheepish grin. "Still figuring that out."
And somehow... that was enough.
We sat there a little longer, the stars watching us like old friends, until sleep finally tugged at our eyes.
"Goodnight, Zehn."
"Goodnight, not-a-flowerpot goddess."
I snorted. "You're never letting that go, are you?"
"Never."
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To be continued…