Book One – Chapter 10

Midnight drew a shaking breath, her chest rising and falling as she sought to steady herself amidst the lingering haze of the encounter. With each inhale, the oppressive weight of the cavern’s atmosphere lessened, though the echoes of the DΔϢΠΙΠƓϛ‘ presence still reverberated through her. The air now bore a different taste — charged with an otherworldly energy that clung to her like an invisible shroud. Midnight took deeper breaths, regaining control. She was changed, marked. A part of her essence had been lost, yet she could feel the pulsating power of something new within.

It took her a while to grasp that she was, once again, truly alone. It took even more time until she recovered from the shock and regained control of her body. Afterward, Midnight found herself compelled to wash herself extensively. Her movements followed the same fixed routine she had known since birth, offering a semblance of calm amidst the tumult of her thoughts.

She could not shake the belief that she had encountered Gods.

Midnight had heard about the concept of Gods, but had never truly comprehended what they might be. She had never been able to imagine anything other than creatures that were simply much bigger and stronger than dragons and giants, something akin to grand females that birthed different parts of the world. Such thoughts were abstract, complex, and unfinished, considering a concept too difficult and beyond her immediate needs. With so many creatures on earth bigger and stronger than Midnight, she had never concerned herself with the invisible and elusive entities that humanoid peoples worshipped.

During her fledgling days, even wizards had seemed godlike, with their myriad abilities to shape the world and foresee future events. However, as she observed, learned, and bonded with Yves, Midnight came to understand that wizards were merely different from her. While there were things her wizard could do that she could not, there were also things she could do that he could not.