Chapter 449
"And now?" Flowua asked, her voice soft and gentle. "What do you see now?"
Xerosis looked around at her cousins, their forms bathed in the warm light of the hearth. "Now," she said, a sense of belonging settling in her heart, "I see family."
Ursula’s figure took hold of her hand as she walked towards the hearth. "I have invited our parents and a few others. For now, we are discussing the changes that came with our ascension."
Xerosis, hearing that their parents were also invited, had her heart skip a beat. Finally, she would meet him, her uncle Crepuscular. A wave of anticipation washed over her, quickly followed by a chilling dread. She thought of her new form, the form without eyes. Will he detest me? she wondered. I am no longer the woman he fell for. The trial has changed me, but it never changed the way I felt about him.
Ursula, perceptive as ever, seemed to sense the turmoil within Xerosis. She placed a reassuring hand on hers and offered a warm smile. "My father isn’t so simple that a mere change in look will change his feelings."
"Meet him with confidence," Ursula continued, her voice gentle but firm. "Your confidence, and not fear of him, is the best he could ever hope from you."
Outside Ursula’s realm, not too far away, a red star pulsed with a fiery glow, the realm of Björn. Björn paid no mind to the addition of the ascended gods. Instead, his attention was consumed by the reform his country and people were undergoing, and the temples in the distant lands that were being systematically dismantled. He observed the shifting tides of power, the subtle changes in the fabric of his realm, with a focused intensity.
He was then abruptly distracted, letting out a soft, "Huh?" in confusion. He initially dismissed it as a trick of his mind, but a thorough mental check revealed nothing amiss. Then he felt a pull, a subtle nudge on his consciousness.
"An invitation?" Björn spoke aloud, his voice a low rumble. A lost look crossed his face, a flicker of hesitation warring with an undeniable sense of curiosity. He was a creature of action, not contemplation, yet something about this invitation resonated with him. With a decisive movement, he stood up and walked out of his realm, heading towards the realm of Ursula. He moved with a purpose, a sense of duty guiding his steps.