Chapter 17: A Sliver of His Soul

DANICA

I hadn’t shared with Hugo the dreams I’d been having about him. Their meaning was a mystery to me. I’d dabbled in dream interpretation before, but how was I supposed to decipher full-blown conversations?

Scenes that replayed like unedited film reels.

In my living room, Ms. Moore, Hugo, and I sat, the shock of my identity as a celestial ruler still fresh on Ms. Moore’s face. She sipped her tea, eyes wide.

“Fascinating,” she murmured. “I should start preparing. Who knows when she’ll come to visit,” she added.

“Who?” I asked, turning to her. But really, nothing surprised me anymore.

Every day brought a new revelation about myself, something so bizarre it could only belong in a fantasy.

“Astra, of course,” she replied, as if I should’ve known. I glanced at Hugo for clarification, but ever since he discovered my true identity, he’d been acting odd, barely looking at me.

Hugo spared me a brief glance. “She’s the guardian of the sky. If anything’s amiss, she’s the one to investigate. She also visits the celestial rulers to assess their worthiness for training.”

I felt a pang of disappointment. I’d probably be another unworthy ruler. Maybe I could save her the trouble and send a letter, telling her not to bother visiting me.

Ms. Moore chimed in. “She’s a lovely woman, albeit immortal and stunningly beautiful. She’s always aspired to be more than just a sky guardian, but her purpose is solely that. To keep the mythical world separate from the human one,” she explained.

Hugo scoffed. “She’s not nice. More like an irritating pest.”

“Even pests can be charming,” Ms. Moore defended.

We sat in silence as dawn approached.

“What should I do now?” I asked.

“You should rest. You must be tired,” Ms. Moore suggested, but that wasn’t what I meant.

“No, not like that,” I clarified.

Hugo finally responded. “Just wait. Training only happens at night. During the day, you should feel normal, as if nothing’s changed from your previous life,” he said, staring at his hands.

The tension in the room was palpable. I stood to leave.

“Danica,” Ms. Moore called out. “Have a little faith in yourself,” she advised. But how could I, knowing my death was imminent?

“Thanks, Ms. Moore, but…there’s no point. It’s better if I accept the truth,” I replied. Accept that everything eventually leads to nothing.

She held my gaze. “Call me Celeste,” she said, suggesting we were now equals. But if equality meant having the same abilities, we were far from it.

I retreated to my room and fell into a deep sleep. It was strange how sleep came so easily, despite everything.

HUGO

I’d been watching her for three years. And I’d fallen under her spell. And she hadn’t even done anything.

Guardians are assigned to specific people. But no one else could protect her like I could. But I wasn’t like other guardians.

I’d stolen her. I’d forged documents, broken into the guardian institute, and assigned her to myself.

I was originally a guardian angel, but I fled when I learned I’d have to die for someone. I was exiled from my duties and forced to live on the run.

But when they saw that I’d managed to assign myself to someone, they had no choice but to let me.

I was the only one willing to do whatever it took, good or bad, to keep her safe. But now…my hands were tied.

I was at a loss. My role was to shield her, but how could I guard someone destined to perish?

The thought that she might be the one to survive the transition kept nagging at me, but so many had tried and failed before her. Each transition was more brutal than the last.

The celestial ruler was trained to endure excruciating pain, to become the strongest, to defy logic. I’d seen advanced celestial nymphs attempt it, but they’d failed. Many had chosen death over enduring the process again.

Danica was oblivious to all this. If she’d been trained from a young age, I might have had more faith in her. The fact that I was powerless to help was tearing me apart.

The pain was unbearable. I didn’t want her to die. I wanted her to live her life as it was. If she didn’t want her nymph life, then let her live as a human. But that was no longer an option.

“Celeste,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “You must enjoy living under your real name. Who would’ve guessed that Danica is the celestial ruler?” I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my voice. The woman had no empathy for Danica’s fate.

“She’s going to die!” I snapped. “And you find that amusing?”

Her smirk faded. She put down her tea cup and leaned back in her chair.

“If you think I don’t care, you’re a fool,” she retorted. “I’ve known her all her life. I held her when she was a baby, crying her eyes out because she’d been taken from her mother. I watched her grow up, and I never suspected she was a celestial ruler. They’re usually identified young and trained until the transition. Danica’s transition started without any training. I can’t even imagine the pain she’s going to endure. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. If I could take her place, I would.” Her voice cracked with emotion.

“You have no idea what she means to me, Hugo. I’m living for her. I’m doing everything I can to keep her safe.”

“Then why does she think she’s alone?” I asked. Celeste cared for Danica, but Danica didn’t know it. Celeste could’ve been there for her, but she’d left Danica to feel like she had no one.

“I’m not her mother!” Celeste defended herself. But it was clear she was just afraid to get too close.

“Being a mother isn’t just about giving birth. It’s about acting like a mother, caring like a mother. And it’s not just about being her mother. It’s about being there for her,” I shot back.

“Why should I be there for her? She’ll eventually find out about her father and sister and forget all about me!”

“So this is about you? You’re afraid she’ll forget you? You’re afraid of being alone?” I asked.

She didn’t answer, but she didn’t need to. Celeste put on a tough front, but she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted someone to be there for her, but there was no one.

She dreaded dying alone. She lived in this grand house, hoping it would be enough, but she was just shielding herself from heartbreak. If you don’t let anyone in, no one can hurt you.

“All I’m afraid of is not being able to protect her. I don’t know how to anymore,” she admitted, her voice weak.

“I don’t know how to protect her either,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. All I wanted was to keep her safe.

From the moment she found me in the park, tending to my injured hand, I’d been smitten. I could’ve healed myself, but I let her take care of me. And she had no idea that she used to know me.