Chapter 499: The Weight of the Prophecy

Eldric’s eyes widened sharply, lenses glinting as he adjusted his glasses with trembling fingers. He leaned back slightly in his chair, the polished wood creaking beneath him, and the room fell into a tense hush.

"Wait," he said sharply, voice cutting across the council hall. "Hold on a minute. There’s something I do not quite understand."

All heads turned toward him. Sophia met his gaze steadily, her expression calm, though her pulse beat faster beneath her skin. Even Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly, the hint of caution flitting across his otherwise unreadable face.

"I’m very certain I heard this incorrectly," Eldric continued, voice taut, adjusting his glasses once more as if that would steady his thoughts. "Sophia... the Luna?" He paused, incredulous. "How is that even possible?"

He exhaled slowly and ran a hand through his hair. "I understand the part about the goddess appearing," he said carefully, glancing at Madam Tyler. "I get that. But Sophia... the Luna?"

He turned fully to Sophia now, eyes wide, sharp. "I mean no offense," he said quickly, voice softening just slightly, "but the prophecy specifically gave descriptions of the Luna. And they differ depending on which region you reference."

Sophia’s brow lifted faintly, but she remained silent, letting him continue.

"Listen," Eldric said, adjusting his glasses again, "those in the southern territories say the Luna will have red hair and striking blue eyes. The western regions insist she will have black hair and piercing green eyes. The east... they say brown hair and golden eyes. And our pack’s interpretation... white hair and eyes that shine like the moon."

He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "And yet... you don’t fully match any of them. The only feature that aligns with one interpretation is your eyes... blue, like the southern tale. But your hair..." He paused, looking at her again, incredulous, "...it looks as though it was meant for someone else entirely."

Sophia rolled her eyes slowly, tilting her head as if trying to gauge whether Eldric was serious.

"If I ever doubted that you weren’t back to your usual self, Eldric," she said softly, the faintest smirk teasing her lips, "then I apologize."

Orion’s voice cut through sharply, stern and deliberate. "Watch your words, Eldric."

Eldric’s mouth opened to protest, then closed, and he swallowed hard, the weight of Orion’s glare settling over him. "Apologies," he muttered, voice low and subdued, bowing his head ever so slightly.

Madam Tyler leaned forward, her hands folding neatly over one another atop the council table. Her eyes glimmered faintly, catching the light from the hall’s high windows. "Perhaps," she said slowly, carefully, "the passage of time has twisted what people remember or have been told. Some elements of the prophecy may have been misinterpreted, lost, or even changed. The descriptions—the hair, the eyes—they may not fully align with the original prophecy."

Her gaze shifted to Sophia, sharp and unwavering. "Even if you do not match every single detail, child, you have visions. And visions... that is the most important criterion for being the Luna. That is the mark that matters, above all appearances."

Eldric’s eyes widened again, more sharply this time, the intensity of comprehension dawning slowly on him. "You... you can see visions?" His voice was barely a whisper.

Sophia inclined her head slightly, a calm, quiet acknowledgment. "I can," she said simply.

Ronan leaned back in his chair, fingers laced together over his chest, a slow, teasing grin curling at the edge of his lips. "Perhaps," he said lightly, "that is why you arrived in time to help us?"

Sophia met his gaze and nodded. "Yes, I thought I was going to be late, though," she told him.

"I first saw you guys fighting when the Trihydras attacked me and Holly," she said softly. "Then I had another one with you guys surrounded by the beasts of Nirvana when Orion and I were already on our way."

Ronan’s grin widened into something proud. Then he leaned slightly toward Orion, voice low but carrying the hint of mischief. "Orion, I think I may like Sophia even more than you do."

Orion’s stern expression softened, the faintest line of a smile brushing his lips. A short laugh rumbled from his chest, startlingly warm against the tension still lingering in the hall.

Eldric’s brow furrowed again, sharper this time, his curiosity rekindled. "So perhaps," he said slowly, measuring his words, "that is why you can read the strange inscriptions on the altar in the shrine?"

Orion cleared his throat, standing slightly straighter, commanding the attention of the council without raising his voice. "Speaking of the shrine," he said, letting the words linger, "it should be known that it is not just a shrine. It is a grave. A tomb, if you will, for the goddess herself. That is what Oculum has revealed to us."

The hall fell into silence once more. It was heavy, thick, almost suffocating, as if the air itself were holding its breath. Every member of the council leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed on Orion, absorbing the gravity of his words.

Eldric found the name sounded very familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

Ronan stared at everyone then turned back to Orion.

"Um... brother... who is Oculum?" Ronan asked.

Sophia chuckled. "The observer, the one who told us about the goddess."

"Someone who was very much in love with the goddess," Orion said grumpily.

"That reminds me," Mary said. "I almost forgot, but all this about a strange language reminded me. Holly’s house has been cleared out, but while we were clearing it, I noticed a strange book. I don’t know where she got it from, and it’s burnt a bit."

She reached into the small satchel attached to her hip and placed the book on the table.

"It’s handwritten, and I think it’s a diary of sorts. I’m not certain, but the language in it is the same as the one Jeffrey told us they saw in that strange rock," Mary told them.

Sophia’s gaze locked on the book on the table. She recognized it. It was one she had searched for after all, one that even Orion had joined her to search for.