After that, we went to a cafe and continued asking around, and surprisingly, everyone repeated the same story, expressing the same devotion towards her.

It was crazy...

It almost felt like a damn cult or something, considering their loyalty towards her.

After finishing our drinks, I stood up and nodded toward the massive temple complex in the distance.

"Let’s take a closer look," I said quietly.

"I want to see what this ’Goddess Horae’ is really about."

Seraphiel rose immediately, falling into step beside me without a word.

We left the café and continued deeper into the city, the golden sand giving way to polished marble pathways that led toward the central temple district.

The closer we got, the more imposing the main temple became.

Its golden spires towered over everything, but we didn’t head straight for it.

Instead, I chose one of the smaller but still grand temples along the way, a beautiful structure with high columns and an open entrance flanked by glowing runes.

We stepped inside.

The interior was breathtaking in its own way. Soft, golden light filtered down from crystal skylights high above.

The air was cool and carried a faint, sweet fragrance. And everywhere we looked...

Statues.

Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds.

All of them depicted the same woman... Goddess Horae.

Some statues showed her standing tall and regal, arms outstretched as if blessing the land. Others portrayed her seated on a throne, serene and powerful.

A few captured her in moments of battle, wielding what looked like a staff of pure light. Every statue was exquisitely carved, the details so lifelike that the stone almost seemed to breathe.

Her face was beautiful with elegant features, long hair, and an expression of calm, absolute authority.

Seraphiel’s eyes swept across the statues, her expression unreadable.

"They’re all her," she murmured.

"Every single one."

I walked slowly down the central aisle.

The walls were covered in intricate carvings showing Horae’s rise. scenes of her defeating armies, bringing water to the desert, and uniting the people under her banner.

I stopped in front of the largest statue in the center of the temple. It depicted Horae with her arms open wide, a gentle smile on her face.

At the base of the statue was a simple inscription carved in glowing runes:

"Horae, Bringer of Prosperity. She who ended the war and gave us peace. All who serve her shall never want."

I stared at the statue for a long moment.

Seraphiel came to stand beside me.

"My Lord... this level of devotion is unnatural. Even for a goddess. The people outside weren’t just loyal. They were reverent... almost fanatical."

I nodded slowly, still studying the statue.

"Exactly. A goddess who appears out of nowhere, conquers an entire region, and then wins the absolute love of everyone by giving them ’benefits’... It’s too clean... and perfect."

I reached out and placed my hand on the base of the statue, feeling the faint pulse of divine energy within the stone.

"Mhm..."

The energy flowed into my palm like warm sunlight, feeling remarkably clean.

There was no trace of corruption, no hidden rot, no subtle taint of Outer God influence or forbidden power.

It was simply... divine.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the energy wash over my senses.

There was nothing strange or suspicious about it.

Just an extremely pure energy, the kind that only a truly dominant god could produce when they fully invested themselves in their territory.

I pulled my hand back and opened my eyes.

"Strange," I muttered under my breath.

"It’s too clean. Almost suspiciously so... but there’s nothing wrong with it."

"Should we press further, my Lord? The main temple is still ahead. If the three targets are here, that’s where the strongest concentration of this energy will be."

I nodded once, glancing around the temple again.

The statues of Horae stared back at me with serene, benevolent expressions, their carved eyes seeming to follow us as we moved.

"Yes. Let’s keep going. But stay alert. Even if the energy itself is clean, that doesn’t mean the situation is."

We left the smaller temple and continued along the wide marble path that led toward the colossal central structure.

The desert wind brushed past us, carrying faint traces of that same pure divine energy.

The closer we got to the main temple, the stronger it became, like walking toward the heart of the sun.

To me, it still felt a little strange...

After all... There were actually mortals in here!

This is the divine realm; just the divine energy alone could suffocate them to death.

"Unless..." I mumbled.

There was one possibility on my mind, but I still needed to confirm it.

We reached the grand staircase leading up to the main temple.

The structure was even more imposing up close, with giant columns of white and gold marble, intricate carvings depicting Horae’s conquest and blessings, and a massive set of golden doors that stood slightly ajar.

Two guards in elegant white-and-gold armor stood at the entrance, but they simply bowed their heads respectfully as we approached, making no move to stop us.

"Welcome, travelers," one of them said politely.

"The Goddess’s temple is open to all who seek her light."

I gave a small nod and walked past them, Seraphiel right behind me.

The interior of the main temple was vast and breathtaking.

High ceilings disappeared into soft golden light.

Massive statues of Horae lined the walls, each one more detailed than the last.

At the far end, an enormous altar glowed with the same pure divine energy I had felt earlier... still overwhelmingly clean.

I stopped in the center of the hall, slowly turning in a circle as I took everything in.

Still nothing strange.

Just... purity.

Seraphiel stopped beside me before muttering:

"My Lord... I can sense the same energy you felt in the smaller temple, only much stronger here. It’s centered on that altar. But I still cannot detect any trace of Luna, Elleonora, or Chronos. It’s as if their presence is being... hidden. Or perhaps contained."

I stared at the glowing altar for a long moment.

"Or perhaps they’re deeper inside," I said quietly.

"This place feels like it has hidden layers... maybe a special place."

I took a few steps closer to the altar, extending my senses once again.

The energy responded immediately, feeling quite warm and welcoming, almost inviting. It brushed against my body like a gentle hand, offering peace and prosperity.

But it revealed nothing else.

"What do we do now, my Lord?"

I stared at the glowing altar for a few seconds longer before turning away.

"...We need to gather more information about this Horae. I feel like knowing more about her will help us find Luna and the others."

The energy responded immediately, feeling quite warm and welcoming, almost inviting. It brushed against my body like a gentle hand, offering peace and prosperity.

But it revealed nothing else.

No hidden corruption. No subtle hooks. No trace of Luna, Elleonora, or Chronos.

Just pure, flawless divine power.

"What do we do now, my Lord?" Seraphiel asked quietly, her voice echoing softly in the vast chamber.

I stared at the glowing altar for a few seconds longer before turning away.

"...We need to gather more information about this Horae. I feel like knowing more about her will help us find Luna and the others." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Understood. I can begin infiltrating their information networks immediately. But if you want faster results..." Seraphiel nodded once, her mismatched eyes looking quite thoughtful.

She left the suggestion hanging.

I considered it for a moment, then spoke.

"Try to arrange an audience with her. See if she’ll meet with us directly. If she refuses or if you can’t get close enough..."

My eyes narrowed coldly, the red slits glowing with a dangerous light.

"The northern part of the Divine Realm can disappear from the map."

The words left my mouth without hesitation.

Seraphiel’s eyes brightened instantly with complete devotion and admiration.

Her posture straightened, wings trembling slightly with barely contained reverence. A faint, almost fanatical smile touched her lips as she bowed her head deeply.

"As you wish, my Lord."

There was no doubt in her voice, only a pure loyalty.

I gave a small nod.

"Then let’s move."

We turned away from the altar and walked out of the temple together.

The moment we stepped outside, I snapped my fingers.

Space folded around us, and we vanished from the temple steps in a flicker of black energy.

We reappeared in a quiet alley between two giant obelisks, far enough from the main temple district that we wouldn’t draw immediate attention.

The desert wind brushed past us, carrying fine golden sand.

Seraphiel didn’t waste a second.

She closed her eyes briefly, her six wings glowing faintly as she extended her senses across the city, gathering information through her hybrid authority of light and darkness.

"I’ll start with the inner circle," she mumbled softly.

"There are several high-ranking priests who serve directly under Horae. If anyone knows how to arrange an audience, it’s them."

I leaned against the cool marble wall, crossing my arms.

"Do what you need to do. I don’t care how. Just get us in front of her."