Chapter 53: The Weight of the Legacy!

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Chapter 53: The Weight of the Legacy

Tessa knelt beside Ecdy, her trembling hands still pressed against his torn side, desperately willing her powers to heal him. Her breaths were shallow, each one trembling as she felt the energy in her sputter and stall. The world around her faded as her focus tunneled in on him—on keeping him alive.

But then, a shift occurred.

The air thickened, and a soft, ethereal glow filled the space in front of her. Tessa blinked, momentarily stunned as she looked up to see the illusory figure of the Moon Goddess standing before her, bathed in a silvery radiance that seemed to ripple through the air.

No one else on the battlefield could see her—not Adrian, not the soldiers, not even the gators still lurking nearby. It was just Tessa, alone with the divine presence.

The goddess's gaze was soft, yet piercing. "Tessa," she spoke, her voice like the soothing hum of the night wind. "All you need to do is open yourself up and tap into your Moon Goddess legacy. You've been afraid, haven't you? Afraid of what you will become… But you already feel the power coursing through your body."

Tessa's lips parted, her throat tight. She could feel it—the immense, untapped strength that flowed within her, a deep, primal force she had only brushed against. But with that power came fear. What would she become? How much of herself would remain?

She shook her head slightly, her voice barely a whisper as she replied, "What is the cost of this power?"

Her mind was still sharp, even though her heart ached for Ecdy. She needed to know—needed to understand what she was trading before she embraced the gift the goddess offered.

The Moon Goddess smiled gently, her shimmering form stepping closer. "There is no cost, child. In fact, it's a gift," she said softly. "By accepting your legacy, you will no longer be tethered to the weaknesses of your alien side. Salt, which once could harm you, will hold no power over you anymore."

Tessa's eyes widened. No more weakness. No more vulnerability to something as simple as salt.

"But..." the goddess continued, her tone shifting slightly, "on days that are not full moons, your powers will be halved. You will be weakened, but never powerless. Your intelligence will remain sharp—perhaps even heightened beyond what you've known—but the alien legacy will be gone. You are more than a Kaelrian, Tessa. You are my daughter. My power flows through you. A goddess in your own right."

Tessa's heart raced as she absorbed the goddess's words. A goddess? It seemed surreal. She had always known there was something different about her, but to lose her connection to her alien heritage...to sever that part of her identity...

Her brows furrowed as worry etched itself into her face. She glanced down at Ecdy, whose life was slipping away in her arms, and then back up at the goddess. "If this legacy is a part of me," she began slowly, "then why do I have to dig so deep to activate it? Why does it feel so distant?"

The Moon Goddess tilted her head, her expression one of understanding. "You've always held it within you, but fear and doubt have kept it locked away. You've lived as a Kaelrian for so long, believing that's all you are. You fear losing yourself, but, my child, you were never ordinary. You were always more."

Tessa felt a wave of emotions flood her. She wanted to save Ecdy, wanted to embrace this power, but the uncertainty gnawed at her. Would she become someone—something—else? What if the power consumed her? What if this was too much?

The goddess stepped closer, her voice softening as she reached out, though her hand never quite touched Tessa's cheek. "I know you're afraid. But you must trust yourself. Trust in the strength that has always been inside you."

Tessa's breath shuddered as she looked back down at Ecdy, whose breathing was growing fainter. She didn't have time to hesitate.

But could she truly accept this? Could she let go of who she thought she was to embrace who she was meant to be?

She swallowed hard, her fingers curling around the edges of Ecdy's torn uniform, her heart in turmoil.

The battlefield remained still, as though waiting for her decision.

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"Why does it feel like I'm losing something? If this legacy is part of me, why do I have to dig so deep to activate it? What if I become a monster?" Tessa spoke again to the invisible moon goddess.

"You are not losing anything, Tessa," the Moon Goddess's voice was tender, but firm. "You are becoming what you were always meant to be. You must trust yourself—trust me. Let go of your fear and embrace your full potential. Only then will you be able to save him."

Tessa clenched her fists, her heart pounding. She closed her eyes, feeling the raw power beneath her skin—the moon's pull, tugging at her very soul. It terrified her, the enormity of it. The fear of what she might become, the fear of losing control. But there was no other way. Ecdy's life depended on her, and for the first time, she realized that denying this power was not protecting her—it was holding her back.

Her eyes opened, glowing silver with a light that pierced the darkened sky. "I won't let him die," she whispered, more to herself than to the goddess. Slowly, she stood, lifting her hands to the sky, and surrendered to the power within.

Suddenly, the moonlight grew blindingly bright, flooding the battlefield in an ethereal glow. The shimmering figure of the Moon Goddess seemed to melt into Tessa, becoming one with her. Her skin began to gleam like polished silver, and her hair lifted in the air, as though caught in an unseen current. Her eyes glowed, not with fear, but with a newfound resolve.

And then it happened—her powers awakened fully.

Her hands, now steady, pulsed with the radiant light of the moon. She pressed them to Ecdy's wound, and this time, the healing was smooth, effortless. The blood stopped flowing, the torn muscles and tissue mended in seconds. His chest rose and fell with new vigor, and his eyes fluttered open.

The battlefield was eerily quiet. For a moment, everything stilled. Even the gators seemed paralyzed by the overwhelming presence of the goddess now fully awakened within Tessa.

Her aura radiated, spreading outward like a silver flame, creating a protective barrier around her and Ecdy. Those nearby, including Adrian and Nyala, could feel it—a palpable shift in the air, like the tides responding to her command.

But it wasn't over. Not yet.

The Moon Goddess's voice resonated within Tessa's mind, clearer than ever. "You can command me now, daughter. My presence is no longer fleeting—you may summon me at will. But with this power comes responsibility. Are you ready?"

Tessa nodded, though the weight of her new reality pressed heavily on her. She glanced at the gators still lurking at the edge of the battlefield, their claws twitching, unsure whether to attack or retreat. Adrian and the Rhemonic soldiers stood at the ready, spears poised, but even they seemed uncertain.

Tessa rose, her eyes gleaming like twin moons, and faced the looming enemies. "Leave them to me."

A gator, bold and reckless, lunged forward, its jaws snapping open wide, claws aiming for her once more. But Tessa was no longer the same hesitant girl from moments ago. She extended her hand, and with a simple gesture, the creature disintegrated into silver dust, reduced to nothingness by the sheer power of her touch.

The Moon Goddess's voice echoed one last time within her, full of pride. "You have finally embraced who you are. From here on, you are no longer merely Tessa of Kael. You are Tessa, daughter of the Moon."

And as she stood there, the battlefield bathed in her moonlit glow, Tessa knew that nothing would ever be the same again