Refusing My God’s Advances

The sight before me was unlike anything I had ever witnessed. A sprawling city of crystal and light unfolded beneath a somehow bright sky painted with the vibrant hues of a nebula. Buildings shimmered with an inner light, their structures complex and ethereal, as if crafted from the dreams of the universe itself. The water around us reflected the city's brilliance, turning our small boat into a vessel sailing on a river of stars.

We had arrived at the city's edge, where the mist that had shrouded our journey began to dissipate, revealing the majesty of Luminara's realm. The air was filled with a harmonious blend of scents—floral and fresh, mingled with the crispness of untouched cosmic voids. It was a scent that spoke of ancient places and whispered of secrets yet to be discovered.

Luminara gestured toward the city with pride. "Welcome to Lumina, the heart of my domain. This is where souls are nurtured before they embark on their journey to the mortal realms. It's a place of balance and renewal, and I am the light that guides them between worlds."

As we stepped off the boat, the ground beneath our feet felt solid yet slightly yielding, like walking on a cloud. The pathways were lined with stones that pulsed softly with a gentle light, guiding our way through the city.

The citizens of Lumina were a sight to behold. Beings of light and shadow mingled together, their forms shifting and changing, yet all moved with a purpose. Each of them had no face, no matter the form they took, but I could feel when they looked at us and what expressions they would have if they had faces. They regarded us with curiosity, but their gaze had no malice—only a welcoming warmth that seemed to echo Luminara's own.

I wasn't sure what I had expected when Luminara invited me to visit her world. The place was like a city of lights and almost felt like a paradise of happy energy, even with the shadows. At the same time, I couldn't help but notice the strange, oppressive feeling that seemed to be coming from outside the city and the limits of mist that surrounded it.

"I had asked you a question before, but the luster of your world distracted me," I said as we walked together. Luminara smiled and nodded, but I could see that it was slightly different. It was the look of someone who had been hiding something and knew that they were in a corner.

"From what I can tell, you are not the type that likes to take on other people's problems," Luminara said as we slowly approached a palace filled with lights, but they were hard to see with the brightest of the day.

I nodded. "You are not wrong. I avoid other people's problems like the plague, but I will still hear you out. As much as I don't want to get involved, something inside me says this might be worth my time."

I always had these weird, indescribable feelings about things that translated into my mind, but most of them were too profound or even ineffable. Trying to express these feelings was hard, but they always seemed to benefit me. I have had this feeling since I was spat into Luminara's realm. I was supposed to be here because something was waiting for me.

Luminara stopped us in front of a large gate that opened to the palace, but once we started to walk again and stepped through the gate threshold, the bright light turned to night with the strangest moon I had ever seen. It was a crescent shape, but the single eye and big ass smile were what really drew my attention. The thing was cool, but creepy as shit, and I was pretty sure that it was looking at me.

"That is Kandora; she is a true divine-rated spirit that provides protection for the palace. It seems that she has taken an interest in you," Luminara explained, noticing me staying up at the moon.

"That is a divine spirit? So it can speak?" I asked but then flinched as a voice entered my mind.

'Yes. She can speak quite fluently,' the sweet female voice corrected me.

"Sorry! That was rude of me," I apologized, bowing to the moon. The strangest of it all was not lost on me. Today was full of weird surprises.

'It is fine. I will leave you be for now, but I would greatly enjoy it if you could tell me how your fight with Vaedos went. He was a student of mine who trained very diligently before being summoned,' Kandora explained, and I nodded, feeling intrigued by this moon spirit.

"If I have time, I would love to tell you about it, or maybe even spare me if you would like?" I asked, and the moon started to laugh out loud, the sounds sending heavy vibrations through my entire body the moment they reached me.

'I would greatly enjoy that. Something tells me that you might be able to entertain me,' Kandora said in my mind after her body-vibrating laugh stopped.

This might be biting off more than I could chew, but I was a glutton, and a chance to fight something as menacing as this Kandora seemed like good fun. Vaedos had been a great fight, but I had got a significant boost to my experience. Now, I was interested to see just how much I had grown from it, considering that I was more than three times as strong as I was before.

"Lead the way to where you would like to have the tea," I said, gesturing forward and looking at Luminara, who was giving me a strained look. "What?"

"You know she is an actual divine-rated soul, not one gifted with the divine rating. I would say that Kandora is at least two to three times as strong as Vaedos," Luminara warned, but it was my turn to frown, and I looked back up at the moon.