Ray frowned, displeased by the usual sharpness of Nobea’s words coming back for a moment.

  “That is nonsense, Nobea. Imagine if I just did what you are saying. That would be a waste of valuable time. And what if the Nightmares return? You have not seen them, have you? You do not know how—”

  Nobea burst into loud laughter. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she teased.

  “The great Ray is afraid? You are the most talented Lucid I know. Probably even better than Eri or Stirleo. I have seen your progress from up here. Your creativity and your skill with the Light are incredible, as are your reserves. No, do not sulk. You know just as well as I do that it is true, even if for some reason you want to hide it. The Light resonates strongly within you. Anyone with half a mind can see and feel it when you are nearby. You are a prodigy, Ray. And even if I hate admitting it with every fiber of my being, you have more talent than I do. That is a fact I have been wrestling with for several dozen days now, but it has helped me, just like your little speech did.”

  Ray felt uneasy.

  Did Nobea know? Did she suspect that Ray had been the one to bring the Sun? That she was also responsible for the night? That it was her fault the Nightmares had entered this realm?

  But Nobea continued without delving further into those thoughts.

  “And now? What do you want, Ray? Why did you come up here tonight?”

  Ray sat down and let her gaze wander over the railing of the platform, across the valley and the beautiful, diverse buildings of the Monastery. At last, her eyes settled on the small hut Demoa had built near the field, barely visible because of its size and the encroaching night.

  “I felt… lost. Your Lucidity bursts somehow called me, and… I was hoping to find a new perspective up here. Maybe some kind of guidance?” Ray said, thinking out loud.

  Nobea’s laughter turned bitter again.

  “Guidance? From me? From someone who does not even know what she herself is missing? I cannot guide you. I am just running in circles myself. Ironic, isn’t it? I am standing in my own damn way, I can feel it. Shit, I wanted to stay calm, but screw it… All of this is so pointless! So futile! Do you know how long I have been cultivating up here? How long I have tried to clarify my inner image? To change my perspective, to be less of an arrogant bitch? Nothing helps! I am who I am. It is like trying to scoop water from a pond with my hand. Only the closer I get, the more the surface pulls away. I can feel it. It is so close, but… SHIT!”

  Suddenly, she slammed her fist into the ground.

  Stone burst apart, and cracks spread outward. Tears stood in her eyes, her breathing heavy.

  Ray was stunned.

  “I… I am sorry, Nobea. Truly. I…”

  She fell silent.

  Nobea shrugged, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and leaned back, her gaze fixed on the full moon standing amid the star-filled night sky.

  “Maybe I need to calm down, rest for a while. And you look like shit too. You should relax as well. We have both worked a lot! So, Ray, why do we not just look up for a bit and let our thoughts wander into the cool night sky? Just for a while. Just the two of us! Two women who might currently try too hard. We should perhaps ease up and forget our problems. Like your friend down there does. I think she really has got it…”

  Nobea looked toward Demoa’s place, and Ray was surprised that there was some jealousy in her words. It was over as quickly as it had started, and soon Nobea’s eyes were turned skyward once more, her shoulders relaxing as a sigh escaped her lips.

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  Hesitantly, Ray followed Nobea’s example and lifted her gaze to the immense, flawless disc crowning the sky.

  She had never really thought much about the moon before, but now she realized that it resembled the sun.

  No, perhaps it was even more important, because it stood guard directly against the darkness? Or… maybe sun and moon were the same? And night was simply the time when disgusting black malice rose to its fullest and managed to suppress the disc of light for a while, turning sun into moon?

  Who could really know…

  Still, both circles in the heavens gave off similar impressions. The moon’s light was somewhat colder than that of its daily counterpart, but in the end, it must take a great deal to ward off the darkness.

  To ward off and shatter the darkness…

  That was the purpose of Light, after all. That was why Light was the most important thing…

  As Ray’s thoughts drifted toward the white disc, she realized as never before that she had called it forth as well.

  And it had risen from the holy symbol within her, the Circle of Radiance.

  The Circle of Light, of perfection and divinity, of what was good and right.

  It reverberated in the moon, made it strong and bright… pulsing amongst the dark, magnificent and pristine…

  She was up there too, in part, looking after it…

  “What the… Ray, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” she suddenly heard Nobea gasp.

  Her thoughts were ripped from those airy heights, dragged back to the platform.

  She just barely saw a distant light fade. A light she had not noticed before, yet one that had clearly had a tremendous effect on Nobea.

  She was pressed back against the marble balustrade, trembling, staring at Ray in disbelief. Ray could not tell whether there was awe or fear in Nobea’s eyes.

  Probably both.

  “What… what happened?”

  “Ray… that is what I am asking you. What did you just do? TELL ME!”

  Nobea scrambled toward her, knelt in front of her, and grabbed her shoulders.

  “I… I only… thought…” Ray said weakly. “What happened? My thoughts, they… traveled somewhere, there…”

  She looked back toward the moon.

  Such beauty, such grandeur.

  A radiant disc, the—

  “RAY!”

  She was yanked back again and found herself staring into Nobea’s brilliant yellow eyes.

  “Ray, you are not seriously going to tell me that you do not see this, are you?”

  Like a knife, those words cut through Ray’s thoughts, and suddenly she was fully present.

  To her shock and surprise, she noticed a faint glow around the moon, pulsing in harmony with her own aura. A glow that was already beginning to fade.

  “I… I was… the moon… a faint light…”

  “What, in everything that shines, did you do? Do you even realize how far away that thing is? That has to be thousands of feet away, at least twenty times farther than the distant mountains are tall. How could you reach that far? HOW DID YOU DO THAT?”

  Nobea moved even closer and shook her.

  Not violently, but brimming with excitement.

  “I am not sure…” Ray said slowly.

  “Damn it, Ray, do not force me to… oh, fine. Please. Please tell me what you did! I am not going to say those damn words again, so take it or leave it!”

  Ray still hesitated.

  On the one hand, she liked being acknowledged as superior by Nobea in something. On the other hand… was it not dangerous to stir new ideas in others? The Sun birthed from her soul was proof enough, was it not? Elga’s Waking was proof enough!

  Still…

  What would you have done, Dio?

  It was almost as if she could hear his voice in her head, and it felt good. It reminded her once more that they were connected, no matter the distance. That they belonged together.

  And she knew Dio would have helped her.

  “So?” Nobea whispered.

  “What do you see?” Ray asked and nodded upward.

  “The moon, you idiot.”

  “Come on, Nobea, I am serious. I could just leave and—”

  “No, sorry! Habit. I am trying! All right, the moon. Big, round, up there. Probably pretty far away, like I said already. Where exactly it is, who knows. Either way, it shines, brilliantly…”

  Ray realized she would have to help her along.

  “It is a circle! It is also the symbol of light… like the Sun!”

  “Yes, Ray, no shit! That is obvious. I figured that out about two days after I started cultivating up here!”

  “But that is exactly what I did. I realized that it is the symbol of Light…”

  Nobea leaned back, disappointed.

  “I was afraid it would not be that simple…” she murmured almost inaudibly, tears welling in her eyes again.

  “I am sorry… I truly wish that could have helped you!”

  “Do not be. It was worth a try. I just do not find the moon remarkable, you see? And neither the Circle. Like, I feel its inspiration somewhat, but it does not click yet, you know?”

  “Why not?” Ray was genuinely surprised.

  How could anyone find the most striking object in the night sky uninteresting?

  The Circle not beautiful and perfect?

  “Well, the moon may inherit the Circle, but it is constantly moving. It never stays in one place. That confuses me. It does not feel reliable.”

  “It brings Light into the darkness. It is the truth. How could it not be reliable?”

  Unbidden, Ray felt anger rise within her.

  It must have carried into her voice, because Nobea raised her hands placatingly.