“... looking down upon the world, the Sky God cried, bringing the first rainfall. ‘This is your punishment,’ the earth goddess said. ‘You fell for a human, but they betrayed you. Look where you are now.’ Her scornful gaze judged him but with great pity.” Themis captured the voice of each character with great care as he weaved together the tale.

Soft candlelight illuminated the lounge. Pillows decorated a circle of chairs gathered closely together where everyone was sitting. An enormous rug lay spread out beneath our feet. A small kitchenette with a dark window was a short distance away. Vines mounted on walls brought life to the aged church.

Themis soon continued. “For a god, falling in love with a human was a forbidden fruit. When that human died, the god in question would mourn them for all eternity. They could fall in love again, but they chose not to. They did not build their hearts the way humans did. Many eras would see lands filled with oceans from mourning tears of a heartbroken god.”

Ming Yi wiped away his tears. “What the hell?! That was sad.”

Themis smiled sadly, putting down the book. “It’s considered one of the three greatest tragedies,” he said.

From how his unkempt hair was askew and his round spectacles sliding down the bridge of his nose, I thought he looked troubled. “What were the other two?” I asked.

Like a switch, Themis eagerly grabbed the book once more. His hands hovered over the leather-bound material, only to find it snatched beneath him.

Ming Yi rose, tore the book in half, and departed the room.

“Ah yes, just what we need, more brooding males,” Zenith said with a groan. She grabbed one of the wine bottles Li Wei was holding as he walked into the room.

“Zenith, darling, be patient,” Li Wei said. “I was about to propose a toast.”

Zenith mutters something incomprehensible above her drink, glancing at the torn pages on the floor, and then smiles deviously at a thought. “Yo, zodiac sign, get in here! We’re getting to know our guests.”

“Oh, no. Here she goes again,” Li Wei said, sinking deeper into the couch.

Aelius, who was sitting beside him, was already making a swift retreat.

I watched as Zenith retrieved a wooden box from the shelf, placing it on the round table before us.

Elegant music soon resonated throughout the room. She waited by the door until Sagittarius emerged a moment later. She pulled him into a dance, continuing to wear a devious grin.

Surprised at my cheekiness, he laughed and took a long sip of his wine.

Smiling faintly over my glass, I felt nostalgic standing beside Ming Yi in what we could consider one of our happier times shared. “Remember when we met how anxious you were to impress me?”

“Of course.” He said proudly, recalling the moment. “I had to be exceptional to stay with you.”

“But… what if I said you’re already the best? You were from the moment I met you.”

Ming Yi smiled in response to my compliment, but he clearly didn’t believe my words.

“Zhen Xue, save me!” Li Wei ducked behind me out of nowhere. He pouted and pointed to an angry Themis stomping over in our direction. “Themis is being mean again.”

Ming Yi heaved a grave sigh. “What are you, children or grown men? I can’t tell anymore.”

Themis swore and glared at the poorly hidden figure behind my back. “This weasel! I waited hours for that edition!”

“You now possess a more exclusive edition. One with wine on it,” Li Wei said, offering a faint smile.

Themis rolled up his sleeves. “Zhen Xue, I’ve grown to like you. That’s why I’m telling you this only once. Move because I’m going to hit that bastard.”

I instinctively raised my arm, shielding Li Wei.

Themis took a step forward, ignoring my attempt to calm him. Just as he was about to lunge at Li Wei, Zenith stepped forward and restrained them both, pulling them back to their seats without a hint of concern.

Sagittarius discreetly approached, leaning against the wall beside me. He crossed his arms, shoulders sagging, and mumbled to himself while letting his eyes close. “She will be the end of me.”

“She would definitely kill him,” Aelius agreed, walking by us with a stack of empty cups.

“Your woman is colorful,” Ming Yi commented thoughtfully, fixing Sagittarius with a stare.

The monk crossed his arms, staring back at Ming Yi. “Whose woman?!”

“I am just stating the facts.”

Sagittarius glared at him. “Well, at least you know to keep your hands to yourself.”

“And apparently you don’t know where your hands belong.”

Oh boy… were they really going to fight now? It seems everywhere I turn, I’m dragged into another problem. Did the gods despise me this much?

Li Wei snatched my hand, pulling me away from the chaos to a quiet corner. He looked at me like I was the finest treasure he’s ever had the privilege of laying eyes upon, whispering with a smile, “That’s very unlikely, Zhen Xue.”

Before I could register that he heard my thoughts, my body stumbled forward.

Li Wei caught me, wrapping me safely in his arms.

The scene before me shifts. Crouched in a tent, I held a document and a key, having possessed a new body. What I didn’t expect was how this person wasn’t just anyone, especially catching them in this type of ominous situation.

I opened the document, studying the map, and realized this shows the plans of the rebellion. The coordinates contained hidden routes for the drug shipments, along with the other camps controlled by the rebellion.

Luna… Luna, just what are you doing?!

Two people were conversing, voices growing closer. I panicked and quickly hid under the desk, clutching the items tightly. The information my father has been seeking is finally within my grasp. I must take this map to the palace immediately.

A man spoke upon entering the tent. “Which reminds me, you never answered my question.”

A woman asked with a lazy voice, “Do I think he’ll betray us? He Wei, in this game of politics that we play, weighing our lives on a silver thread, you can’t trust anyone with power.”

He Wei sighed. “I was afraid you might say that.”

The woman continued, seeing her answer didn’t satisfy him. “Nothing is scarier than people who’ve been suffering and have nothing to lose. When given a chance to change their future, they won’t turn away from the knife they’re offered. They’d rather risk possession by the devil because, for them, they’re already living in the depths of hell.”

“That little runt from the church said that, didn’t he?” He Wei picked up a backpack, throwing the bundle over his shoulder. “I wonder where Luna ran off. She was supposed to return a while ago.”

The woman sighed. “You just have to ruin everything. I can also say something cool, you know!”

“Yan Ling, love, that’s not what I was implying…”

Their footsteps became fainter as they left. “Our long awaited freedom is nearly upon us,” she said. “I feel like I can almost finally breathe again.”

I peeked around the desk to make sure they were gone, my shoes sliding on the floorboards as I craned my neck to look. Confirming they disappeared, I exhaled in relief with the items remaining clutched in my hands.

I left the key on the desk and tightly held onto the documents as I walked outside, preparing to leave. The daylight blinded my sight for a split second, but once returned, I saw an unrealistically large establishment in the middle of the woods with lots of people carrying various assortments of weaponry.

Once considered an insignificant threat, the rebellion has grown into a massive army, poised to strike at innocent lives.

“Luna! There you are.”

I froze in place, casually tucking the documents behinds my back as a woman about Luna’s height ran over to my side. Her eyes glittered with an excitement.

“Where are you going?” she asked. She looked me over, letting the subject drop when I didn’t answer, replaced with another smile. “Well, whatever. When you finish, come and find me! I’ll wait for you. They’re already heading out.”

I nodded, offering her my thanks to get her to leave, and surprisingly, it worked. True to her word, the troops appeared to be leaving at this very moment.

I snuck around them, trying to put as much distance between me and them as possible. Leaving the base behind, I ran through the woods so fast I thought my legs would give out beneath me. My muscles were aching, threatening to collapse by the time I arrived back in the city. Even compared to earlier when I ran to the church, I didn’t run this desperately.

I don’t have time to warn them. Getting these documents to my father should come first. I can’t prevent the war, but maybe we stand a chance to survive the outcome.

“Luna, thank you so much for the help yesterday,” a middle-aged man said.

I passed by the man who called, my feet pounding against the gravel. He was playing with his children.

“Luna! Luna, slow down, child. Be careful where you walk,” a young woman said.

I saw the young woman that hollered in my direction. She was working in her garden. My chest grew heavier with each passing moment, the weight of their lives hanging in the balance of my decisions. The voices seemed to claw at my person like frenzied ghosts, dragging my urgent pace to a slow crawl as though to merge with them in the underworld.

An older woman called for me this time. “Luna,” she said. “Are you going to the palace? When you return, let this granny cook dinner for you. You’ve been working so hard lately. Don’t let Han Jing push you around so much.”

I felt another pang of guilt inside my chest.

They don’t know what’s going to happen.

If I can save at least one person...

Looking over my shoulder, I called out to the granny with a smile befitting Luna’s character. “I’ll hold you to your word, but for now, please go inside. Tell the others to do the same. Lock the doors and don’t-”

“I knew you were a little snitch,” He Wei said, making his presence known.

My body tensed up as I noticed him standing next to Yan Ling down the street.

“Unfortunately for you,” he continued with a wide grin. “We expected this would happen. Those documents you’re holding aren’t accurate.”

“You’re bluffing,” I said.

“Am I?”

This person is truly something. I stared him down, not losing my resolve. “Why else would you chase down one girl of my size? You’re afraid of losing.”

Dissatisfied at that response, He Wei whipped out a gun from his waist and aimed it at the granny’s head. Turning to me, he shrugged and remarked, “Well, it was worth a try.”

I watched him coldly and with indifference. With a wave of boredom, I asked, “So, this is your grand plan, huh?”

At my display of confidence, his gun shifted, pointing at me instead.

I smiled he fell into my trap. I took baby steps towards him, not completely provoking him, but not letting him have his way either. When I reached his side, he looked even more terrified. “Do you realize the domain you’re in right now?” I asked, pinning him with my stare. “There isn’t a single person here that will not hesitate to make wish you were back between your mother’s legs if you harm this girl.”

My attention went to Yan Ling as she retrieved He Wei, pulling him away as many eyes stared them down, fully ready to prove my point.

At their obvious resignation, I smiled again, deliberately taking my time to retrieve the gun He Wei held pointed at me and stuffing the object back into his waist belt. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t see you out,” I said. I walked away with a twist of my heels, carrying the document.