A Priestess for the Blind God (Legends of Rahasia Book 1)

Chapter Seventy-Seven

My mortal self can't stand the unchanging nature of this place. I desperately need to change this conversation before I lose myself entirely to Kane's all-pervading embrace. Change in this unchanging plane, shaking its very foundation. As my mind goes to chaos, I remember Rahasia. The pain. The falling. Betrayal and prison.

Remember the mortal world.

You can't leave it yet, not even for this paradise.

You owe them all too much.

"Kane, my body's back in the Pit."

Kane turns to look off into the distance, I see a thin film of blue cover one eye, the scene of the Pit, of shadowy figures screaming in confusion. One eye in the mortal realm, the other here. Wherever here is. "I brought you to my workshop, the place where I first built the world. See this?" He shows me a tiny diamond shaving, just like a grain of sand. "This is the speck of stardust that I used to create Rahasia." He gestures around him with his ethereal star-form, gesturing to the great expanse of stars, moons, and purest night. "I brought you to the great Before. The Before there ever was. The Before there ever could be. Your body is shielded in the Pit. No harm will come to you while you're with me."

He's perfect.

Too perfect to resist. So much harder to resist than it was in the mortal world. Aziz said everything felt heavier in the mortal world. Now I understand what they meant by that. My heart's so free here. I can love so easily.

I must remember the hate.

My mortal mind attempts to grasp Kane's words, but I find that it's easier to just feel what he is saying than attempt to fully understand it. "I see."

I don't see, but that's okay.

That's part of being human.

Human, what I am. What I must be.

Kane glides back over to me. I stare into his face, glowing from beneath, candles beneath a slate of onyx. It's so hard to look away, to not want to fall into the embrace of this mighty god, to forget everything forever. "Ask, and I'll give it to you, Ode. I've asked so much from you. To become my Champion. To save Rahasia. To save me."

Kane takes my hand in his. In this realm, it's more than just a gesture. Everything feels so much stronger, as though our skin was torn away, as though our hearts beat right next to each other. Two souls, sharing one starscape form. "Now, it is time I gave something back. I won't take over your mortal form, not like Cato did to Elio or Aziz to Ryu. I'd much rather give you a gift instead, anything your heart desires. It's the most I can do without hurting the true you." He kisses me, our entire beings intertwined like braids of twine. "I promise, love."

Simpler here, without clothing or skin. Simpler here, the Before anything existed, before life, before death. I look at his eyes, covered in scars, one rooted in the mortal, one in the Divine.

I don't see. And that's not okay.

I don't want that part of being human.

I must save them all before I can rest.

I point towards his eye.

"Let me see as you do."

Kane frowns, wanting to protest. I can see it. He thinks I've gone mad.

Why would you leave paradise?

But I stay strong against temptation. "You made me a promise, Kane," I press my lips to his. My heartbeat slows. His shudders, and the Before shudders with it. "Now give me your eye."

***

Champions,

I wonder what having Kane's eye does... Hope Ode knows what she's doing.

Also, hope you enjoyed the Before realm!

Thank you so much for voting and supporting this work!

-Sophia