Chapter 0: The Prologue

Adustio glanced aside. His mind is jumbled with concepts he has never heard before, and his head throbs with every word the wailing woman continues to say. But he was aware that he had never desired this kind of confrontation before and never would again. He wanted to push the woman away, but his chivalry prevented him.

“I apologize that it took me so long to locate you—” The woman who calls herself the goddess of the moon wailed. Adustio felt horrible as crimson tears rolled down her ruddy cheeks and as she wept. However, this girl is unknown, and his wife is waiting.

“I… I do not recognize you, and I apologize, but I must go.” He could no longer handle it. The hands that were begging him to stop and listen were already pushed aside as he walked away.

The moon was left alone. She knew, ‘This is it… Now he will leave me alone!’

She stood emotionless in front of the huge structure, her eyes flooded with city lights, and she could no longer feel anything. The absence of nearby mana sources had her bone-weak, but she remained there, gazing at the moon.

At the 348th teardrop from her left eye, the moon, which served her purpose for the last 10 000 years, changed color.

***

“Congrats Luna! Tonight, the moon’s energy is incredible!” Everyone yelled their congratulations to the moon goddess. Divines, the celestials in charge of controlling the cosmos, oversaw the enormous window that displays the moon’s brilliance and might. She became tomato-red in response to the kind words of her fellow Divines. Indeed, the night was bright and vibrant.

“The moon goddess must be pleased to preside over this region of the planet, since the energy flow is so wonderful.” Leo, a constellation under the authority of the sun god and moon goddess, remarked. Luna gave a little head shake.

“That location seems a bit depressing, so I’m doing my best to cheer it up.” After the shouts and claps ceased, Luna said. Everyone returned to their places as Luna and Leo approached the window.

She gazed down and saw the desolate, uninhabited portion of the planet that was beyond human grasp. She questioned why… Why did humanity abandon such a location?

“This location is cut off from the rest of the world since the Seraphims judged it to be a cursed region. This desolate region was the site of the greatest conflict in human history. Since the black magic-tainted blood was spilled on the ground, no one was even permitted to see it.” Leo elaborated.

Thus, even superior angels may judge a location cursed. Luna murmured, obviously not paying attention to the information Leo was imparting.

“Your Divineness, do you really want to become a Seraphim?” When Leo asked her a question, she was abruptly brought back to the present. Her heart pounded; the question definitely took her off guard.

The chamber, which they dubbed the Moonlit room, was quiet. Inside were just a few constellations that oversaw the seasons, as well as the goddess from whom the moon derived her vitality.

“Do I want to become a Seraphim?” To become a goddess, she must do a crap ton of nice actions over her existence.

She said, “I’m not sure whether I want to monitor human lives.” Leo nodded in response to her statement. It was quite difficult to identify a living, breathing, moving, and thinking human person. She is certain she lacks even the tiniest amount of patience, a trait that requires eternity.

It appears that every 50 years your perspective on this subject changes. Leo ridiculed her. After hearing his comments, she turned and surveyed the surrounding area. It was a large, white chamber that was lit by fireflies and had a shining stone slab at each corner.

She is pleased with what she now sees. Her folks are employing a magically enhanced table. A polished white metal slab sat on their desktops, enabling them to enter the essential calculations for balancing the Earth’s ecosystems.

“I’ll consider it. The rewards are… currently out of reach for me.” She created in the air a piece of paper with a note from her partner, the sun god.

She went from the window to the room’s highest available seat. A table designed just for the goddess. Leo had long gone after telling her he needed to bring something to Lupita Eskiel, the Seraphim-in-training deity.

[Luna,

Congratulations on the fantastic energy tonight! I was unable to attend since I am now inundated with papers (typically complaints). I’m also preparing for a site visit since it seems that the Earth’s protective layer is thinning, so I won’t be able to visit you for the time being.

Also, can you speak to Lupita? I will be meeting with him tomorrow.

Always present,

Adustio]

Luna had a disappointed expression.

“Admonishing this moron—” She promptly destroyed the letter. She is very irritated because the conceited sun god treats her like his own errand girl. This is perhaps because her purpose in existence was to reflect the sun god for forever.

He is forcing her to do anything he wants since he knows she is drawn to him. Not in a romantic manner, but literally like a moth attracted to a flame.

Smoke erupted from her nostrils as she grudgingly rose to her feet and exited her own workplace. Even if she wanted to say no, the sun and moon’s partnership prevented her from doing so.

“Meeting Lupita? Argh! Instead, I shall become a Seraphim—” She was smacked by the understanding like a truck.

‘Yes… a Seraphim… distant from Adustio, yet near enough to inflict pain on him.’

She understood after an endless number of years of suffering that maybe… she had earned enough points to ascend to the top seat.

Her preparations to flee the sun god were now solidified.