Beyond the Deep Water

Hunches

"I heard she is different," Luna says with excitement.

"Axl is considering persuading Semmel to let him see the Book of Life, so she must be..." Yama comments between yawns.

"The God of Rebirth is a formidable force to reckon with; perhaps he should take a different approach," Ceres adds with a little more malice.

"Perhaps she is worth the effort," Azzel says with a tender tone that takes Ceres by surprise. Azzel has spent enough time with Camille to understand why the God of Water would think to see the God of Rebirth. Camille's evident abuse has been a victim of seems to be deeper than just a simple ruthless act of humans. The maniacal ways her skin has been branded; it's unbearable to see, and there's only one reason for her to be cursed with such a life. If Axl manages to look into the Book of Life, he could find out that it's partly his fault if the darkness chasing after her.

"I believe so, too, Azzel." Luna can't contain her enthusiasm after seeing Axl's reaction to their encounter. She wants to see her up close.

"But it is rare that Axl has gone to a mission leaving you behind, Yama. Are you curious about this girl?" Ceres questions Yama; her nonchalant tone is a warning to Azzel and Luna; knowing Ceres and her tactic makes Luna wary of her intentions to meet Camille.

"Zerrat and Kaiden are enough company this time," Yama says without adding any more details of Axl's reasons to ask him to stay behind.

"Well, I hope he does not regret his decision," Ceres comments as they stop in front of Camille's room.

After an unpredictable encounter with the God of Water, Camille doesn't want to admit it, but she's been enchanted by him. The shame of being so weak has kept her awake through the night. Her heart pounds anxiously while she impatiently waits for the day to break so she can have another chance to meet him. The thought of his close existence makes her stomach revolt with nervousness. Camille rolls off the bed and gazes into the curtain of light that makes its way through the sliding doors. A calmer smile spreads across her face to remember the god's effort to hide his surprise. Even with his tough act, Camille could see through it, and now she's become more curious about him. She sighs, gathering her energy to get up and face another beautiful day.

"Let's do this," she jumps to her feet but stumbles as soon as her toes touch the soft fur on the floor. She holds her breath and wonders, will she ever get used to this place? "Not in a million years." She shakes her head as she noticed the curious creatures gathering on her balcony.

"No way!" She exclaims breathlessly as her eyes catch a glimpse of a beautiful but terrifying beast resting on her balcony. A creature like no other, but Camille can feel a strange comfort in its giant eyes by looking at it. Its white fur makes him look like a cloud with a massive mane with tiny feathers embedded surround its face, so strange but magnificent at the same time. The lion ignores her as she stands behind the glass door, mesmerized by its appearance. Zelon, the mystic lion of thunder, can be one dangerous beast when provoked but very overprotective with the ones he likes. Still unable to understand how everything works in the Gods' World, the days feel longer, and the nights are brighter. She hardly gets hungry, but she does feel exhausted.

"Axl, huh." His name escapes her lips as she gets lost in the glittering surface of the waterfall. Her heart thumps nervously, an action that makes her smack her cheek as hard as she can. She has to fight that her heart can easily be swept away by another man when she already has Adam. But Axl's intimidatingly captive eyes, his low demanding voice, he's so masculine and seductive all at once. The intensity of his glare paralyzes her whole existence yet, what Camille sees in him a shadow of loneliness.

Adam's smiling face pops in her mind, making her heart tremble with guilt. The only one she can let herself be moved by, not for gratitude nor loyalty but for love. She decided that a long time before Axl. Camille sighs, letting the guilt burn the awkward memories of her encounter with the god. She becomes determined to never her mouth speak his name. Camille vows to refrain from letting her guard down in front of him and stay faithful to Adam no matter what. "I hope..." She whispers to herself, already regretting it. After all, she's only human, and it's unavoidable for her to make mistakes in a place she doesn't understand. Camille comforts herself, but as she inhales deeply, there's still pain. There's still anguish. There's a loneliness that she can't forget until she sees Adam again.

Carefully sliding on a pink dress, the simplest she could find, she lets the refection in front of her sink in. Her violet eyes narrowed as she analyzes the radiant expression on her face. Although she appears to be the same girl from Primavera Town, something has changed after a few days in this world. Camille flaps her lashes. Her eyes seem to shine with a little more life than before; her plumped lips still hold that perfect touch of pink, even after she spends most of her time nibbling on them. Her waves cascade down her shoulders, slightly reaching her hips. Surprisingly, after taking a troll by meeting the Blazers, Camille wants to dress a little more presentable. She smiles, satisfied with the simple but elegant look.

"Lady Camille...?" Azzel calls out after a knock, her heart skips a beat at the sudden sound. She hesitates for a moment. She has awakened in a new day where there's a possibility of finding out more extraordinary beings. After meeting Axl, Camille has a sense of comfort that she didn't feel before. She exhales as she turns back to the mirror. Her nerves start to kick in again, anxious about seeing him still. What will he say this time? What magical events will she witness or other gods will she meet? Falling into the unexpected excitement of a new adventure, she turns to open the door.

"Lady Camille..." Azzel calls out again with politeness.

"I'm coming!" She says with more enthusiasm than the first day.

While the God of Water, Kaiden, and Zerrat travel all the way to the remote galaxy of Esteri. Axl is willing to negotiate or force his way to get the answers he needs from Semmel, the God of Rebirth. The great gods are going to such lengths to force him to choose. Axl has a different Camille perception. Even if her fate is being manipulated by a force he can't control, he might be making a big mistake if his hunch about Camille's mission becomes real.

"Can this be it, your majesty? The moment where your loyalty and restriction will be tested?" Zerrat tries to hide his concern but fails. Axl glances at him with the corner of his eyes. Being the Golden Gods of Balance leader, Axl has been forced to repress his real nature. A power, even the other gods, fear. He has lived for an eternity and will keep on living more, but one look into Camille's eyes was all it took for him to find a reason to contemplate that maybe it's time for him to enforce his will, not for him but for her.

"How long have you been with me, Kaiden?" Axl questions his most trusted advisor. Zerrat turns to him as Kaiden closes his eyes to keep his calmness. Even when he doesn't look like it, Kaiden is an angel of light that has outlived the great gods. He has served many of them until he decided to take a stand just like the God of Water has done.

"An eternity," Kaiden answers simply, although most of the time, he knows what his master will say and what he wants to get out of his conversations. This time, the angel decides to stay silent and let him speak his mind.

"Do you believe that my restriction can be more tested?" Axl reminds them of the many occasions the great gods have pushed him beyond his limits, tested his patience, and hurt him more than he could handle. Zerrat says nothing. He can say no words to explain the torture the God of Water has lived, thanks to his beliefs. "Perhaps I should let them have a taste of my loyalty. What do you think?" Axl asks as his portal opens up in the Esteri Castle.

"Perhaps she is worth the try..." Kaiden opens his eyes as they set foot in the hollow castle. A slight smile crosses Zerrat's expressionless face.

While Camille thinks back to what Axl said the night before sets right in her brain, she doesn't have a place to go in her world. The shadows were becoming unbearable for her to handle, and to rely on Adam all the time is not fair. Camille has to set him free from carrying her weight, but it's not a simple decision to make. Taking a deep breath, she puts on a brave face in hopes that one day she'll get to see the boy with an angelic smile again. She nods to herself, holding her head up high. Camille opens the door to her new life. New future, in a new world.

"Good morning..." She greets and almost falls back on her butt; her eyes widen in amazement by Azzel's company.

"Good morning?" A small female creature greets her with a blight smile that blinds Camille's soul. Luna.