"Your rabbit looks afraid."

Adaiah motioned towards Flops as I sat down across from them. I placed Flops in my lap. "She gets jumpy sometimes."

"Seems like you're feeling the same," They grin and tilt their head. "I won't bite, darling."

"I a-apologize. I've just never been–"

"In front of a god?"

I nodded sheepishly. "Yeah."

They hummed and took another drag from their pipe. The weight of the room was still heavy. It was like something in my body was telling me to stay alert. Or maybe, it was the ominous words of the Apostle. I was so disturbed by the fact he said Empyria was watching me, that I had pushed it out of my mind and completely forgotten about it. Now the words were like a loud bell echoing in my brain. 

"How much do you know about Empyrism?"

"Oh," My back straightened and I looked at them. "N-Not a whole lot. It's not really a big religion in Asmar. I know about the Great Divine and the myth around the first person with magic. One of my friends is a Divine Sister, so I know about doing that, I guess? Just the basics."

"Perfect. Get comfortable. This will be a long lesson."

I frowned and leaned back against the blush chair. It felt odd to get a lesson about Empyrism from an actual Empyrian. I was sure if Malvolia was here, she would be freaking out. I groaned internally. Why couldn't Ilesh just hand me sheet music so I could learn from there? Perhaps a music teacher or another bard. Not a god. I had no idea how to even act.

"Empyrians are not some ‘all-knowing’ gods that fill people with fear. The rules we put in place were only the Three Teachings, and speaking ill of The Great Divine and Empyria. Every other rule was decided by the Acolytes of Empyrism. They naturally formed hierarchies, temples, and of course, holidays.

There are two major holidays in Empyrism: The Day of Beginning and Divination Week. The Day of Beginning is to celebrate the day Terrene was made. That was in Spring. Divination Week takes place in Summer, usually starting on the longest day of the year. This is a week dedicated to The Great Divine and Empyrians."

My hand ran over Flops’s ears. "Do Acolytes not dedicate their whole lives to you?"

They smiled wryly. "We won’t complain about a little more dedication."

"Oh."

"The week is filled with a festival, music, special food, worship… all the fun stuff. People wear their finest clothing, they dance with strangers, they eat food that they wouldn’t be able to have otherwise. The week starts with someone performing a traditional song of Empyrism. As soon as it's over, the festivities begin. It’s a grand time for believers and non-believers. We tend to answer the prayers more often during this time. We even join in on the celebrations."

"Do they… know?"

"Not at all," Adaiah shook their head. "We want to respect the boundaries between a god and a mortal."

I shifted uncomfortably. "This sounds like such an important time. Are you sure I can do this? I’m not even a believer."

They took another puff of their pipe and blew the smoke towards me. "It’s a sin. But what they don’t know, won’t kill them."

Oh, great. An Empyrian is telling me to sin. Perfect. "Do you have sheet music?"

Adaiah waved their hand, scrolls appearing out of thin air. "Here you go, darling."

"Thanks."

"I hope you're good at sight reading. Let us begin."

I looked down at the sheet music. I didn't have my flute with me, but singing it should be good enough for me. I cleared my throat and began to follow the words beneath the notes. A chill filled the room as whispers seemingly brushed the back of my neck. I flinched and looked behind me. There was no one there. The whispers got louder. They were… singing. My voice faltered as I looked up at Adaiah. They were smirking, motioning at me to continue. The voices were a perfect harmony to mine, but it almost felt too perfect. 

I continued, matching the tempo of Adaiah's magical singers. Their magic already was different from Alder's and Stolas's. It had its own presence. It was like its own being. If I wasn't trying so hard to focus on the music, I would have been suffocated by its power and unable to do anything else. After I finished singing, Adaiah clapped their hands and stuck the pipe in the corner of their mouth.

"Not bad at all, darling. You have a nice voice. Will you consider singing instead of playing your flute?"

I shook my head, my face turning red. "N-No, I don't think I'm ready for that. I would rather play an instrument."

"I'll get you to sing for a crowd one day," Adaiah waved their hand, and several more sheets of music appeared. "Here. Go and practice these. Play for me tomorrow and I will make sure you are all ready." 

"Thank you, Adaiah."

They waved their hand. "You're welcome. Now, off you go. I believe the king is busy for the rest of the day, so use this time wisely."

I held Flops in my arms before standing and bowing my head. "I will see you tomorrow."

I got out of there as quickly as I could. My whole body was shaking as I ran down the hall and to the exit of the castle. I moved through the crowded streets of the capital, heading straight for Malvolia's house. My mind was a mess of thoughts. None of them were coherent. I couldn't tell if that was because I had met a god, or because of the god themself.

As soon as I got to Malvolia's place, I turned the knob and pushed the door in. At the same time, the door swung inwards. My body fell forward. Two strong hands grasped my shoulders and steadied me. I looked up. The tension in my body melted slightly as dark blue, swirling eyes met mine. It hasn't even been long since we last saw each other and I already missed those eyes so much. I smiled.

"Hi, Alder."

"Hello, Cahira," His eyes crinkled as he smiled down at me. "I have missed you."

"Hey, girlie!" Malvolia popped her head out from the left side of Adler.

Stolas popped out on the other side. "How was sleeping at the castle?"

"Absolutely insane!" I took several steps backward. "The guest room was amazing. Flops got a bath! Dinner was so tasty, and I got to eat breakfast with Ilesh."

Alder raised an eyebrow. "Ilesh?"

"And then–get this– I met an Empyrian."

Malvolia's eyes widened beneath her veil as she stepped out from behind Alder. "You what?! Are you serious?!"

I nodded and lifted the papers in my hand. "They're apparently visiting. Ilesh said I was to learn some Empyrian arias from them. It was so… weird."

I began to ramble about my experience with Adaiah. I didn't want to keep any information hidden, especially because Adaiah could possibly help with the Atrophy. My free hand that was holding the sheet music motioned wildly as I talked about how the room felt like it had all the air sucked out. Adaiah's magic was something I never experienced before, and it almost felt alive. By the time I was done, all three of them were staring in pure disbelief.

Alder's expression darkened. "What was the king thinking? Why would he make you learn from an Empyrian and not–"

"A musician?" I shrugged. "I have no clue."

"Interesting…" Stolas looked over at Alder. "You weren't notified?"

"I was not."

Stolas hummed and then sighed. "Alright. I'll go look."

Stolas shifted into his raven form and then left without another word. Alder seemed to be having a silent conversation, his head tilting and his eyebrows furrowing. Malvolia chewed on her lip anxiously. One hand twisted a strand of her bright hair. I thought that she was excited. She worships Empyrians, so shouldn't this be something good? Or did she have the same uneasy feeling I do?

"Cahira, did you tell the Empyrian that you aren't an Acolyte?"

"It was one of the first things I mentioned. Apparently it's a sin, but Adaiah said it doesn't matter if no one knows. Well… no one except you guys."

She didn't like that answer. "You need to be careful. There are many reasons Empyrians don't come to the mortal world. Just one wrong move, and they can send the world into chaos. Promise me you'll only learn the songs and nothing else. Don't take any offers, show an interest in converting, or even show an interest in Adaiah themself."

"Mal, don't scare me."

"I'm not trying to. I just want you to be safe."

"Alright. I'll be careful." I sighed reluctantly before looking over at Alder. "I should… get back. I need to practice."

Alder finally met my gaze again. He smiled again, but it was strained. "We will meet up before the starting ceremony."

"Can you stay at the castle too?"

"I was not invited," He seemed bitter. "But I will be with you in spirit."

His fingers ran over the delicate helianthus charm. Warmth spread through me as my anxiety was replaced with energy. Everything would be fine. I would perform at Divination Week, attend the ball, and then continue my life as a bard. I just had to push through. And I could, as long as Alder stayed by my side. Even if one day, he will leave.