Chapter 31 The Moonlight

"How about it? The night view of Belobog."

Cocolia and Orion sat on the steps in front of Qlipoth Fort, each holding a glass of wine. It was nighttime, and the square was filled with people. Some were placing flowers at the monument to honor the heroes who died in the war.

In the dark, small lights surrounded the monument, glowing like fish swimming in water. Lines of light stretched out, connecting the square to distant places.

"It's beautiful," Orion said, lifting his glass. The moonlight shone through the glass, reflecting on their faces.

Cocolia, her face a bit flushed from the wine, placed her glass down and hugged her knees. "Orion, did you know?" she began, looking up at the purple moon and the starry sky. "The day I returned from the Underworld, the sound of the stellaron disappeared from my ears."

"That's a good thing," Orion replied, listening quietly as he sipped his wine.

"Yes, but I've spent almost all my life as the Supreme Guardian. Do you think that's a successful life?" Cocolia asked.

"I can't define success for you," Orion replied, thinking carefully. "But in the eyes of most people in Belobog, you're a noble leader, a symbol of the people's will, and a... hero who protects Belobog."

"But I almost let the stellaron control me. I even thought about giving up..." Cocolia started, but Orion stopped her by shaking his head.

"I know," Orion said, looking up at the moon, now partly covered by dark clouds. "Even if you told everyone about your past mistakes and the truth about the stellaron, most people wouldn't believe it, or they wouldn't want to believe it."

"There's a saying from my hometown: A saint's deeds don't need to be perfect. Neither you nor I are saints, but we can still do good things as ordinary people."

Cocolia looked at Orion but didn't know how to respond.

"Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, focus on doing what you need to do now. It's one of your responsibilities as the supreme guardian. Carry the truth and bring good things to the people."

Cocolia noticed that, even though the man in front of her was around her age, he seemed to understand the world in a way beyond what most people on this planet could.

"There's no need to look at me like that," Orion said, feeling a bit embarrassed by Cocolia's gaze and smiled. "I'm just an ordinary person."

Orion sighed, thinking about his life. "Ordinary... person?" To Cocolia, Orion was anything but ordinary. But Orion knew the truth. He was born a regular person, went to a regular school, and lived a regular life. If nothing unexpected had happened, he would have continued to live a regular life like everyone else.

"People always say it's what you do that matters." Orion stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and extended his hand to Cocolia. "Come with me."

Though hesitant, Cocolia trusted Orion and placed her hand in his.

"Ahhh!"

Suddenly, the surroundings blurred, and Cocolia felt weightless as the wind rushed past her. She could only hold on tightly to Orion as the sensation took over.

After what felt like an unknown amount of time, the wind noise gradually faded, and Cocolia's sense of balance returned. Just then, Orion spoke softly in her ear:

"Open your eyes."

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and the sight before her left her speechless.

The sky stretched endlessly, pure and untouched by humanity.

The clouds, which usually floated high above, slipped quietly past her. Out of curiosity, Cocolia tried to grab a handful, but her hand passed right through them.

As the clouds drifted away, a bright, massive moon appeared, more vivid than she had ever seen from the ground. Since Belobog had been struck by the cold wave, seeing such a clear moon was rare.

The beautiful scenery eased her fear of heights, filling Cocolia's heart with an unusual feeling.

Human beings' desire to conquer the sky is deep within us. When faced with such a sight, it's hard for anyone to stay calm.

"Orion ! Look..."

The excited voices suddenly stopped as Cocolia looked at Orion. His silver eyes, which should have been gazing at the sky, were quietly staring downward.

Suppressing her unease, Cocolia followed Orion's gaze.

"What's that...?"

Streets stretched out in all directions, and houses, as tiny as ants, dotted the ground beneath them. Darkness ruled the night, but resilient flames rose everywhere, lighting up the city.

"Belobog," a calm voice said in her ear. Cocolia realized how strange the city looked from this angle. She had never seen Belobog like this before.

"Some people stand on the ground but see the world as if they're in the sky. Others stand in the sky but only see it as if they're on the ground."

"Cocolia, what kind of person do you want to be?"

Cocolia looked at Orion, his serious eyes seeming to peer into her soul.

After calming down, Cocolia thought about what Orion had said. After a long pause, she hesitantly answered:

"The first kind?"

Orion shook his head.

Before she could offer a second answer, Orion spoke again.

"Be both, Cocolia."

"No matter how high you rise, never forget the people below."

"We're now almost four thousand meters above Belobog, a height most people will never reach."

"But," Orion's tone shifted, "No matter how long we stay up here, we will eventually return to the ground where we belong."

"Before, all you could think about were decisions about the fate of this planet. You acted like a god, making judgments for all life here."

"But the people didn't even know their fate was being weighed by you, did they, Cocolia?"

Orion's calm words pierced Cocolia's heart like a blade, leaving her speechless. It felt like a thousand layers of cold wind were blowing through her, freezing her heart, even though her body wasn't cold.

"Because he's right," Cocolia realized. Orion had completely understood her deepest thoughts.

"Remember this, Cocolia," Orion's tone softened. "No one has the right to decide everyone's fate."

"Destiny should be in your own hands."

Orion reached out toward the moon and suddenly grasped it, as if holding his own destiny.

"And our fate is now closely tied to this land and the many people who live here."

Under the moonlight, Orion's eyes shone like two bright stars, reflecting the light of everyone around him.

"What we need to do is not control it, but..."

"Carry it on your back."

The moonlight is beautiful tonight, but Cocolia can't take her eyes off Orion.

...

Meanwhile, in a place beyond the reach of any instrument, at a location known as Everwinter Hill in reality, a voice echoed from all directions. The voice was neither male nor female, neither young nor old. It was both like a devil and an angel, empty yet full of temptation.

"Suitable...host...found."