"Your path forward lies with the light of the moon." Her voice carried an eerie quality, prophetic and layered with anings Finn couldn’t fully grasp. "Else all that awaits is doom and demise."
Finn stared at her for several long seconds, deliberating.
Her words weren’t direct. Not entirely absolute in declaring the Moon Mother and Luna as "good" or trustworthy. Only that his way forward truly did lie with them.
He took that to an he should proceed while maintaining his natural wariness. Sothing he’d already planned on doing anyway.
But his cynical, analytical mind couldn’t help considering the alternative scenario. What if this was another elaborate ploy? What if Ailin — the Mnemosyne — was part of it too? The Great One had placed her beside him, after all. What if her role was to guide him toward exactly what these higher powers wanted?
What were his options if that were true?
He didn’t know his next steps in this world beyond the vague goal of getting stronger. Without guidance, he’d be stumbling blind. And if Gods were actively hunting him — which Luna’s words suggested, and which felt disturbingly plausible — then he’d be in an even worse position than this dubious alliance offered.
At the end of his rapid internal deliberation, one truth crystallized:
It didn’t matter.
This was a transaction. Give and take. The Moon Mother wanted sothing from him. So future "it" he would discover. But there would be no future at all if he couldn’t survive to that point.
A grim realization settled in his mind after that:
I must be the soil before I can be the oak. Let them tread on . Let them plant their seeds. I’ll drink from the depths they can’t even see. Protesting otherwise is useless, the helpless noise of the weak.
I will instead wait... silently. Biding my ti. Building my strength... I won’t fight the winter, I’ll wait for the thaw, and then I’ll bloom with vengeance.
Finn nodded slowly and turned his masked gaze back to Luna.
"I accept the Moon Mother’s terms," he said carefully. "But with one condition."
Luna’s expression sharpened with interest.
"When I find this ’it’ you keep referring to," Finn continued, "the Moon Mother will have first opportunity to claim it, yes. But I get to understand what ’it’ is first. And I get to decide whether or not to also partake of ’it’ before Her claim is made."
He didn’t know what "it" was. Neither did he have any fra of reference whatsoever. But he was negotiating on principle, trying to claw back so small asure of control over a bargain that heavily favored the other party. He didn’t expect it to work. This was just an attempt, sothing to make him feel less like he was surrendering completely.
Luna opened her mouth, clearly preparing to deny the negotiation—
But she paused mid-breath.
Her eyes went distant for just a fraction of a second, as if listening to sothing only she could hear. Then she refocused on Finn, and her expression beca serene.
"The Moon Mother accepts."
Finn’s eyebrows shot up behind his mask. Genuine shock rippled through him.
Then slowly, he tilted his head in a gesture of thankful acknowledgnt, still processing the unexpected concession.
"My direct involvent ends here," Luna said, this ti in a more formal tone. "All future communications will be conducted through my incarnate vessel, Lucine."
Finn couldn’t quite suppress the slight sigh of exhaustion that escaped him at that announcent.
Luna caught it and chuckled, the sound like wind chis in moonlight. "Don’t mind Lucine too much. She is a dutiful incarnate despite her... peculiarities."
"I hope those ’peculiarities’ won’t cause problems as we work together." Finn said bluntly.
The Goddess Luna’s smile widened into sothing almost mischievous. "They won’t. Lucine won’t have the ti to indulge them anyway." Her expression grew more cryptic. "She’ll have to progress further and commit to the steps she’s already taken to aid you properly. After all, you chose not to claim the Moon Mother’s vigorous authorities. That ans alternative arrangents must be made."
Before Finn could ask what that ant, Luna’s presence began receding from Lucine’s body.
But just before she departed completely, Finn caught the last glance the Goddess directed toward the Mnemosyne. A look of acknowledgnt. A greeting, tinged with sothing like respect.
Then she was gone.
Lucine blinked, her posture shifting imdiately from divine grace to sothing more casual and human. Her eyes refocused, and the overwhelming pressure of Luna’s presence evaporated.
Finn dispersed his divine essence as well, allowing his mask to ld back into his skin as he reverted to his normal appearance. But even as the transformation completed, his mind was calculating.
His divine essence reserves were critically low now. If he had to estimate, perhaps no more than 10% of the original 0.27% Rank II divinity he’d stolen from Garuda remained.
He really needed to start producing his own divine essence actively. Relying on this dwindling stolen amount was unsustainable.
Lucine turned toward Thalia, who had remained silent and calm throughout the entire exchange. Unusually silent and calm, actually, as if the Mnemosyne had explained things to her beforehand — though Finn couldn’t quite envision that conversation based on how cryptically Ailin spoke just before.
Lucine studied Thalia for several beats with critical assessnt, then dropped a casual remark: "It’s close, but I’m prettier."
Finn released a long, exasperated sigh, nearly rolling his eyes. She was back again with her ’peculiarities.’
"What’s next?" He quickly asked to urge her into their next action.
Lucine spun toward him, and her deanor did a complete 180, reverting to the flirty persona she’d displayed at their first eting. She leaned forward slightly, moonlight eyes twinkling with mischief.
But the effect was dramatically weaker than before. Even without his divine state active, Finn felt barely any pull. Not after experiencing Luna’s full divine seduction. Lucine’s mortal attempts felt like child’s play after witnessing the real thing.
She noticed imdiately and pouted. "You’re no fun anymore."
Then her expression shifted into full seriousness, the playfulness dropping away very quickly.
"You’ll all need to follow into the town," she said. "A series of events are about to unfold. All orchestrated for your benefit, and you must be there so you can be set up to reap them when they are ripe..."
Her lips curved into a smile that held both excitent and challenge.
"Let’s go make a God."
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