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The Empress Luna

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Luna glanced downwards and focused at his shuffling footsteps on the ground so that her eyes wouldn't get hurt by the glares as the man stood in front of her.

"The end you are going to face is very much the beginning."

Luna may not see the man's face, but his voice sounded stern.

"This is where it started." He said cryptically.

He was a stranger who spoke in riddles like the Archdemon of Sloth.

It was the language of the gods and goddesses who had ancient wisdom and who had seen it all or so to speak.

Having no dreams except blackouts, Luna placed her hands in front of her and pinched a part of her skin to see if this was a dream.

This was all in her mind, but she felt the sting on the back of her hand.

Shaking her head, Luna replied, "I don't understand."

The stranger shrugged with nonchalance as he replied in amusement. "No one will ever understand this."

Luna didn't have time for these inside jokes from the Universe she wasn't privy to.

"Welcome this dead-end in front of you, and you will witness unimaginable wonders." The stranger stretched one arm and clasped the metal bob of the door knocker with his fingers.

He glanced at her, and she kept her head down, "Do you accept this ending?"

"I don't—"

He waited for several seconds, and he could feel the bright stranger's gaze boring into the top of her head. "There are a lot of doors opening around you at this exact moment, but this must be the door you must walk through, Portal Creator--"

Luna interrupted him like how he interrupted her. Her brows knitted in confusion, and she whispered in agitation, "Who are you?"

"That isn't important." It was a kind reprimand. "Do you trust me?"

"You only have to answer me once, and we will never meet each other again." His words burrowed into her skull and dug in, and she covered her arms around her ears. "Is it a yes or a no?"

Her fingers loosely clasped on her purple dress. "I trust you, angel."

"I'm not an angel, Luna."

It sounded different when he uttered her name.

The way he said it felt like he had immense power over her.

She stepped backwards as she shifted her foot to foot in discomfort. "You know who I am."

What did he know about her?

She felt a vague sense of familiarity with him, but it's not invasive.

Luna didn't feel safe when someone who wasn't Apollyon would stare at her like he had known her entire being all too well.

Despite being cold from almost drowning at a lake, sweat ran down her back.

'Oh, my goddess!' Luna remembered.

What was she doing here?

Was she dead?

Was her flesh eaten alive by demonic sirens that's why she was going to…Heaven?

Will she be the First Archdemon soul who will pass through the Gates of Heaven?

If Luna was 'dead-dead' because she was supposed to be a vampire and an Archdemon at the same time, will she meet Apollyon here and live happily ever after?

"Of course, I know you. I created you." There was a real conviction in his voice that had zero room for doubts. "I am the omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient God."

Luna was about to curse under her breath, but she stopped for she was in front of a stranger who had called himself God.

"I am the Universe." The stranger's tone was strong, revealing the steel backbone of his declaration as if he expected me to challenge him. "You have an important role to play in this chronicle."

Luna's soul chilled, feeling lightheaded.

It seemed like her brain couldn't wrap this strange concept around her head.

Frowning, Luna snapped to attention.

"What do you want from me? I am, unfortunately, an Archdemon. " Gritting her teeth, refusing to let the truth to slice her heart—refusing to admit that she didn't belong to the Vampire Realm.

Luna snapped, demanding the Highest God to answer her. "I beg you not to torment me!"

In her mind, the Creator made her suffer this fate!

"There is a difference between a full mature Archdemon and a fledging one," the Highest God replied as he shrugged and his white robes followed the graceful movement. "Fledging Archdemons didn't necessarily become a full Archdemon."

Luna's mind ran a hundred thoughts per minute, thinking of the implications of his statement. "So there is a way not to be a full, mature Archdemon, turning me back to normal?"

The Highest God answered a non-committal hum.

Luna added bitterly as she demanded, "Are you going to send me away?"

"I still have compassion for you," He replied as he shuffled his footsteps.

"You had the worst fate out of all creatures I have created." He waved a dismissive hand as he added further, "You don't remember the past, but I will reward for your hard work."

"I'm going to ask you once again." He asked in a quiet, gentle tone. "Do you accept this ending?"

Shutting her lids tight to block her distracting halo, Luna focused on what she felt around the stranger.

It gave her a sense of peace that she was inclined to take a deep satisfying breath.

Luna felt a connection to life somehow just from his aura.

For some unknown reason, it brought her to sudden tears.

The Highest God created the Universe.

He became the Universe.

The Highest God had told her that she had an important role to play in this chronicle.

When a protagonist reached the dead end, something riveting happened.

Luna is the protagonist.

There was a stubborn pause before Luna surrendered.

"Yes."

Grace arose inside of her as she walked through the open doorway one step at a time.

The door began to open both inside and in the world.

Luna stopped at the threshold.

If she only stared straight in front of her, Luna could only see a pitch-black void.

When she glanced down, she sucked in a quick breath and stilled.