Sprout: The Goddesses planted their seeds of flowers upon the Island’s rugged soil.

Ten Years ago: Year B - 999.

...

On Grand Street, an intimidating structure prepared to unlock its pearly gates to the masses for another typical annual holiday. As the morning sun shone with delicate brightness, tiny crates with dove-like wings circled the Temple and gracefully landed in front of esteemed Royal Guards plated in gold. They carried the crates with goods and notes from far away residents into the Temple, seemingly to gain favour from the infamous Lady of Funerals.

The people, clothed in their finest suits and robes of silver and orange, merrily lingered outside the enchanting place of worship, exchanging gossip and casual conversation concerning their expensive gifts. As the golden leaves of autumn gently fell onto the pristine, silver road of Grand Street, lingering emotions of pride and greed among the people made their presence.

As the esteemed guests were escorted in by the Royal Guards decorated in golden armour, they bore witness to decorated hallways with stunning hues of orange and gold. Classical musicians gathered to perform their harmonious tunes while waiters dressed in all black served fancy tea sandwiches and fairy cocktails to the esteemed guests.

As the crowds of well-dressed individuals exchanged sapphires, pearls and bits of precious gold, a girl about 14 years old slipped past the crowds with a saddened expression.

Her complexion was sandy and riddled with freckles. She harboured ocean-blue eyes in a permanent state of sadness, and her braided hair was a rare shade of pristine white. Despite the festive occasion, she wore a plain, modest black suit, matching pants, and a tie. However, it was clear her clothes were wrinkled, so she caught stray glances of scorn from snooty upper-class folk.

"Ugh, I pray the spell she was born with is one where she learns how to dress. Seriously, I will call the Royal Guards if that peasant girl does anything suspicious," One woman sneered with a look of disgust upon her crooked visage.

"Undoubtedly, the young lady hails from another less fortunate street. Maybe from Maritime or Verde?" Another woman whispered with ignorant concern.

“Well, wherever she’s from, she is tainting this holy atmosphere. Who would wear all black as if it were a funeral when today is obviously a celebration of Life?” A man in silk robes huffed to the group, twirling his golden locks of hair.

Despite overhearing the confidence-shattering jabs, the girl remained determined to keep her tiny white box of contents guarded and untouched by anyone unworthy.

‘Mother demanded I visit the Temple to scout for a rich boyfriend, or else I’ll be punished with another set of push-ups. However, I’m not so sure if this strategy will work, due to my appearance... This is incredibly humiliating,'

The young girl shivered to herself as she grimaced at the young men her age in fancy, silk robes. She silently observed their personalities, subtle movements, vocabulary, and the gifts they brought from afar. Despite desperately attempting to attach herself to the teenage boys, a part of her felt disgusted and hollow. The sensation was like planting a tropical flower seed in a freezing tundra, it was seemingly impossible to find love within the Temple of Obsidian.

After an hour of examining potential dates, the girl shuffled toward an empty hallway away from the gathering in the main Chapel. Her expression was riddled with shame and hopelessness as she 

silently tucked herself in between marble statues of the twin Goddesses and sighed in total defeat.

‘They were all pricks! Every last one of them! Carrying useless jewels and silk moth twine like they're big shots. Not to mention, so many of those boys were putting up facades, but with their 'friends,' they were so slanderous and obnoxious. At this point, maybe Mother’s accusations of my utter uselessness ring true. I’m as weak as a sheet of paper with my magic...’

The lonely girl dressed in black suddenly caught a glance at another on the other side of the nearly-empty hallway.

‘Who’s there? Is it a Guard or a demon?!’

Floating from the shadows, another girl, dressed in white slowly approached with a gentle smile and appeared to be carrying a woolly doll dressed in all black robes and jewelry.

“Greetings, new face. I have not noticed your presence around these premises before,” the other girl with radiant, umber skin adorning all-white clothing began with a gentle tone. “Who exactly might you be?"

"O-Oh! My name’s Osmium." The girl wearing all black replied with a nervous grin.

Osmium attempted to hold out her hand for a shake, though the other girl seemed dazed. Her golden eyes shimmered with judgment.

"...You are forgetting your title." The girl spoke with a calm but somewhat pretentious tone.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'm Osmium of Courier Street. I hope you don't think of me as rude. I'm very forgetful." She sincerely apologized.

'How could I forget to mention my title when everyone here has been introducing themselves with theirs?!'

Osmium thought to herself with total embarrassment.

The other girl could easily read Osmium was sincere and chose to be less strenuous. The girl in white smiled and shook the other’s hand.

“I chose not to believe you are rude, Osmium. We are simple beings prone to create mistakes, just as our beloved Goddesses created us.” The other girl elegantly hummed, “Please refer to me as Zanna of Grand Street, it is very delightful to glimpse a new face at this extraordinary gathering resembling the Goddess of Life’s generosity.”

As Zanna introduced herself with an overt refinement, a majestic piano melody echoed throughout the Chapel. While most of the guests overlooked or completely dismissed the background music, Osmium's eyes sparkled as she thought of the mysterious fancy girl’s smile.

“Nice to meet you, Zanna.” Osmium averted her gaze as her face became subtlety pink, “So, um, what did you bring to the gathering?”

"This doll I crafted myself, of course.” Zanna genuinely questioned with visible nervousness. “Why? Did you think this was not a sufficient gift?"

'How could I be so dense? Of course, the pretty doll was a gift! I'm so stupid!'

Osmium internally cried to herself as she struggled to maintain eye contact.

"I-It's a beautiful gift! I was just wondering about the doll 'cause everyone else seemed to bring stuff like diamonds and silver."

"If you desire to acknowledge my authentic opinion and promise not to tell another..." Zanna leaned in for a whisper, "... I believe those offerings have no soul and are for uncharitable folk,"

"Y-Yes, that's what I was thinking too! Hardly anyone brought home-cooked food, warm clothes, or hand-crafted gifts as they do back home,"

"Disheartening, is it not? I would preferably be celebrating Gratitude Day on any other Street than within these beautiful Temple walls. The people attending this gathering have overlooked the Goddesses' teachings of bringing hand-crafted gifts to help our fellow people. If anything, we should be offering wonderful meals and crafted toys to the people who live on the less fortunate Streets, not gifting sapphires..."

"The only thing sapphires are helpful for is with decoration for ugly hats!" Osmium blurted in an attempt to encourage Zanna to laugh.

"...I believe I own a hat with a sapphire on it..."

The girl in black froze with fear.

"O-Oh."

'I FAILED.' Osmium cringed to herself, flinching at Zanna’s words.

"...But now that I analyze your remark, the Goddesses would accept my hat is rather silly-looking." Zanna giggled, as her expression grew content and filled with amusement.

'Never mind! I did it! I made her laugh!'

“Osmium, I must say, you are quite the odd jokester. I like that, a lot!”

“Ha ha! I like you too!”

That last comment made by Osmium seemed to fly over the girl in white’s head, as they both continued quietly giggling.

“...Say, Osmium. I am beyond ecstatic to have met someone like you. Truthfully, I am infatuated with the idea of becoming your friend!”

“Y-You are? Really?” Her eyes sparkled with a smidgen of hope,

“Indeed. However, I am training to become a Priestess with Mother Dearest in solace for the next couple of years. I would be able to see you in my older years if you became a Royal Guard.” Zanna’s eyes sparkled with delight, “...Then, we could create happy memories together.”

As a tiny, seemingly dying flower blossomed in late spring, Osmium sensed an unusual bloom of happiness within her shaky, fragile heart. The Priestess in training held onto Osmium’s hands, and the girl adorning black could not help but envision a perfect future where Zanna was her bride-to-be.

‘A sapphic-styled wedding under the name of the Goddess of Life. No need for my Mother's approval as she vanishes into white roses. This is the wedding I’d want...’

Just as Osmium mustered up the courage to request Zanna a simple question, the golden doors to the Chapel harshly swung open. Many Royal Guards plated in midnight black surrounded a young man stepping into the room with all black robes and a pale, symmetrical face. He wore a thorn crown on his head and a thinly veiled black fog crept around his ankles.

In an instant, Osmium’s courage shrivelled up as her eyes dulled with the dread of the Prince’s sudden presence. Even the snobbish guests, who were amused with the gathering had fallen into an uncomfortable silence. Everyone in that room dared not even to glance at the young man, who bore a confident grin upon his pale face.

"That's Lucian Diamante, the Prince of Grand Island..." Zanna nervously whispered, her eyes becoming dulled with fright, and her head began to ache. "L-Listen carefully to me, Osmium..."

"H-Huh?"

Zanna nervously backed away in the opposite direction, holding onto her pure white gown.

"I-It was incredibly delightful to make your acquaintance, but I take my leave at once. Mother Dearest is likely wondering of my whereabouts-"

"Please wait! I-I wanted to say-"

As Osmium attempted to chase Zanna down the hallway, the girl wearing black turned the corner, only to find the girl wearing white was no longer there.

The only trace of her was Zanna’s well-crafted doll she had left behind on accident.

Osmium momentarily lifted the gift and gently hugged it, before placing it back on a nearby desk.

'...I barely got to know the pretty girl in white. She had bronze skin which reminded me of our warm summers, coily green locks of mint, and warm green eyes… How I wish I could have given her my gift. I guess our love wasn't meant to be...'

Osmium felt her face heat up as she snuck back into the Chapel to take her leave. However, she immediately regretted her decision as she attempted to peek over the crowd of adults, only to meet eye-to-eye with the Prince himself.

His orange eyes shone with an intense rage, one would see from a soldier who spent a lifetime battling demons. It was as if he knew she would take a peek at him.

'That's a death stare if I've ever seen one. Why does he seem to hate me even though I've never made eye contact with him before? Unless...'

Osmium quickly darted her gaze elsewhere and quickly shuffled toward the exit. Poking her head out the Chapel’s door, the hallways seemed ordinarily empty besides marble statues of flowers and the occasional portrait of the Head Priestess. Osmium quietly closed the door, only to witness the Head Priestess Allucia turning the corner. Chaperoned by emphatic knights cloaked in gold, Grand Island’s ruler was cloaked in the darkest fabrics which were adorned with black roses. Allucia’s pale face was akin to a carpel of a beautiful flower.

The girl in black began to sweat out of the sheer intimidation Allucia emitted from her blank expression. However, the Head Priestess herself merely blinked and continued walking toward Osmium.

‘What’s our fair Ruler doing here!? I thought the Head Priestess was staying in her Throne Room the entire time. I’m dead! I am so dead! I am not supposed to be attending Grand Street’s ceremony for Gratitude Day!’

Osmium backed into the wall and froze, seemingly retreating into her mind from sheer panic. The girl expected the Royal Guards to point their weapons at the girl and bark at her to leave or else they’ll have her head on a silver platter.

‘F-Forgive me, Mother. No matter how hard I try, I will never make you love me.’

However, a small miracle occurred.

As the girl shut her eyes, the room had shifted. Osmium was now behind the smiling Head Priestess and her personal Royal Guards.

"H-Huh?" The girl echoed as she turned to see Head Priestess Allucia smiling and quietly waving goodbye while holding Osmium's gift. The radiant ruler’s all-black outfit flowed with intense beauty, which brought an air of tranquillity to the golden-hued hallway.

‘What... just happened? Those red rose seeds were meant to be for my future fiancee...’

Osmium put her hands on her face to detect dried tears.

‘What’s with the crying?... But why do I also feel happy? What's going on?’

The girl desired to inquire about the sudden shift in the room, but a second pair of Guards approached her and quickly signed for Osmium to leave the premises immediately. This left the young girl in black more confused than ever, and quite pessimistic about losing a potential date.

Outside the Temple of Obsidian, the girl was escorted through the unused back doors and was told to never return.

“...Unless the Head Priestess herself grants you a single favour within the future, you did manage to gift her something after all.” Knight One optimistically spoke.

“Her Grace never accepts gifts from outsiders, especially if they’re not from Grand Street. Perhaps she sees something special within you?” Knight Two added on with a quieter tone.

“I’m not so sure about me being special, I’m an ordinary girl after all. Perhaps, it was just good luck for once in my life?” The miserable girl adorning black shut down the optimism and walked back to her home street, Courier.

A place where many of the residents own alcohol distilleries within sky-blue and earl-grey coloured establishments. Despite rumours of the workers being unprofessional and too noisy, many are very strict with their steadfast work ethic, and only let loose after hours.

“Every adult appreciates a fine wine bottle,” Osmium read the grey sign by Courier Street’s entrance and continued her journey home.

‘Mother won’t be pleased when she learns of my failure to swoon a rich boy, or the fact I was face-to-face with the Head Priestess herself. The only good to come out of that event was Zanna... Even so, I know I won’t see her again, knowing she’s one of those Grand Street rich girls. What kind of person like her would ever see in a weak fighter like me?'