The sound stone beneath her well-worn shoes was a welcoming change from the broiling summer heat. It had been days since Thalia last been able to step foot in the sanctuary, let alone any place. It was a test of faith. Offering oneself to the broiling light of day and sleeping underneath the stars for several nights in a row was seen as offering oneself to Nyx at night, and battling her natural enemy, daylight, during the day.

For five days straight, she’d toiled under the sun, volunteering to help out around the local villages where help was needed to pass the time instead of sitting in quiet meditation. Not even the thunderstorm that blew through the previous day scared her. She welcomed the lightning and thunder with open arms.

Now, Thalia was returning to her home, hoping that she had impressed her elders enough to join their coven.

It was something she’d dreamt of since she was young, beginning with that fateful day she crossed paths with one of the coven’s sisters. Their powers were vastly different from the typical Mage’s. They were able to take to the form of a starlit night, sometimes with shadows billowing from them as a reminder of the ever-expansive night only kept at bay by the light of the local star.

Breathing in the cool, refreshing air, she proceeded deeper into the sanctum. When she reached the edge where the stone became a near all-consuming black, she carefully took her shoes and socks off. The feeling of the cold stone below was welcoming. Her body was beginning to cool off, her sweat now making her shiver.

Walking softly, Thalia made her way deeper into the cave. The further in she went, the darker it became until eventually only small dots of light signifying starlight made her surroundings visible. With every step, the anticipation within her grew.

She would finally become one with the cosmos, and the cosmos one with her. As a part of this world, it would become her duty to protect it at all costs. It was a duty she was proud to take on and live her life in service of.

The narrowly winding tunnel soon came to an end and opened up into an expansive cavern. In the center of this cavern stood a stone structure, carved by followers of Nyx who had long since passed. A few hundred stairs led up to the entrance.

In this expansive open area, there appeared to be miniature individual stars drifting about, while a never-ending aurora glided across the ceiling. A small galaxy occasionally faded in and out sight. The whole area carried an aura of serenity with it.

At the top of the steps stood a woman draped in an depthless dusky robe. Upon seeing her, Thalia immediately kneeled and dipped her head.

“My child, you have returned. We have been watching during your trial, and we are pleased. Instead of wasting your time away in quiet meditation, you sought to help others. Your selflessness in your suffering has proven your faith, and we wish to welcome you to our fold,” the woman, Azolla by the sound of her voice, spoke softly.

Thalia’s heart skipped a beat. She’d done it; she’d finally proven herself worthy of becoming a sister. Her dream would be realized, and just the thought of finally standing alongside those who’d guided her not as a child but a companion sent her heart aflutter.

“It is an honor, my mentor.”

The woman didn’t respond but instead retreated inward into the shrine.

Thalia quickly walked down to the base of the stairs and then up to the entrance of the temple. With reverence, she nodded her head as she made a silent wish for everything to go well, then made her way inside.

The robed figure of Azolla guided led her toward the room of cleansing where they stopped.

The room featured several pillars with an open ceiling at the center that let in the light of the ever shifting multi-colored aurora from above. Unlike the rest of the stone in the sanctuary, the stone here was a dark indigo that was only discernable from black with a keen eye. Six small waterfalls flowed from the edges of the ceiling, two on each side and one on each end.

“Please, prepare yourself. Let the dirt and grime part with your body, so that you may be free of all worldly burdens.”

Doing as she was told, Thalia quickly shed her clothing and stepped under one of the waterfalls. The water was frigid, and she reveled in it. Its crispness was refreshing compared to the sweltering summer heat she’d experienced the past few days.

All of the grime she’d accumulated on her skin quickly washes away as she harshly scrubbed with her hands. Her hair alone needed quite a bit of delicate attention and took several minutes to clean.

While she wanted to make sure she was thoroughly clean, she also didn’t want to take too long, for doing so may appear as hesitation. She could indulge herself in the refreshing water after she’d been initiated.

When she looked for her clothes, she found they were now gone. Instead, Azolla was standing at the door with a black robe.

“You are about to become one of us,” she said before stretching out the arm holding the dark garment. “Here. You may wear this as we make our way to the Room of the Starry Sea.”

Thalia gently took the robe and slung it over herself, then began to follow Azolla once again through the dark corridors. They made their way past the training room, the dining hall and the small bedrooms they were assigned.

After ascending another flight of stairs, she found herself at the entrance of their sanctuary, the room where they offered thanks to Nyx for her creation of which they now guarded. It was also the room in which they occasionally communed with nature by temporarily becoming one with it, something which she hadn’t experienced before. She often daydreamt of what it would feel like to be one with the astral painting of the night sky—floating amongst comets and asteroids in the emptiness that lay far beyond their reach.

As she entered the rectangular-shaped room, she noticed that all of the coven’s sisters were lined up on either side of her, creating a narrow path to a dark pool of water filling the center of the room. Four pillars supported the stone ceiling, and at the opposing end stood a stone monument with intricate magical carvings resembling a woman shrouded in darkness with her arms outstretched.

In front of her, Azolla stopped just before reaching the pool and turned to face her. For a brief moment, the room was silent, aside from her heart which felt like it would beat out of her chest.

“Sisters. Today we welcome another into our coven. Thalia has completed her trial and thus proven her devotion to us, our craft and our goddess. For all of her effort and selflessness, we open our arms and welcome her into the embrace of our family. If any of you would not welcome her, then please speak now,” the woman said, opening her arms in a receiving manner similar to the statue to emphasize her inquiry.

Along both rows, the coven’s sisters nodded in affirmation at her. In particular, though hidden behind a dark veil, she could tell the eldest druid, Eytelia, wore a smile. The warmth of which enraptured Thalia like a warm blanket.

Azolla waited a brief moment before continuing on.

“Then let it be known that this coven, The Descendants of Nyx, welcome you with open arms my child. Thalia, you have survived through hardships and grief with an unbreakable smile. Your warmth permeates this Earth and makes it more magnificent every day.

“This world, as you know, is part of the cosmos. It is one amongst many others. Do you swear to protect the Sea of the Night, even if it should cost you your life?”

“I will give everything to defend that which I am born of,” Thalia said before taking a deep bow.

“Then arise child, and step into the Pool of Stars,” her Mentor instructed before stepping to the side and gesturing to the pool of water in the center of the room.

Wordlessly, Thalia let the black robe covering her fall to the ground, letting her nude form be exposed to the cold air then approached the pool.

She could feel the eyes of the sisters closely watching her, studying everything about her and her expression. Thalia kept her stone-face as best she could, hiding her excitement behind a mask of humility.

Once she reached the edge she delicately allowed her left foot to enter the water. It was freezing, even colder than ice. She wanted to yelp in surprise, but contained herself and proceeded onward with the same pace she’d kept before.

As she waded further in, the pool of water slowly rose around her. Her features were entirely hidden by the reflection of the water as it slowly claimed them with each step. Her calves, knees, thighs and bottom, all of them disappeared and were soon followed by the tips of her fingers. The surface gently rippled more and more as it accepted her form into its embrace.

Soon, she was up to her waist in the water, and the cold felt like it would force her to pass out. Continuing on was something she wanted to do. She wanted to prove herself, and this was similar to a final test of sorts.

As the water lapped at her neck, she took one last deep breath, then closed her eyes and quickly took the last few steps, submerging herself fully under the water. She didn’t stop walking despite now being underwater and continued forward. The further along she walked, the stranger things seemed to get. It felt as if the floor below her had disappeared.

Beginning to panic from the sudden loss of her footing, Thalia attempted to swim upward, but found there was no surface for her to reach. Her chest ached for release, demanding her to fill its lungs with oxygen-rich air. Despite her best attempts to stave the burning need off, she involuntarily gasped. Instead of water filling her lungs, she found that she was able to breathe. From what she recalled, she was still underwater, so how was it possible that she was breathing air?

Slowly opening her eyes, Thalia was greeted by a mesmerizing sight. Surrounding her was the cosmos. Stars, nebulas and galaxies dotted the area surrounding her in all directions as far as she could see, some quickly darting past her.

It was like the visions she’d seen when gazing up the stars. A sea of celestial objects. Only everything was crystal clear.

She willed her body to move about, flying between the stars and galaxies, taking in this beautiful moment that was an experience she knew she’d carry with her for the rest of her life. She passed by comets and asteroids, played with a few stars which proved to be extremely hot, and stacked a few planetts on top of each other.

She was having so much fun that she lost track of what was going on around her and found herself brought face to face with an unwelcome sight. Out of the corner of her right eye, she saw something that struck fear into her: a black star devouring another.

It was a reminder that not everything was beautiful and innocent, and one must be prepared for such things lest they wish caught off guard.

Continuing her journey amongst the stars and soaking in the moment, Thalia felt her skin begin to tingle. Upon looking at her arm, she was met with another surprise: her skin was now sparkling and somewhat transparent. While she’d been exploring the cosmos, her body was gaining its own starry form, resembling something similar to the one her sisters had.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was all over. She was brought back to reality, where she was currently underwater. Pushing off the bottom, her head breached the surface. She faced her newfound sisters, who were now in a semicircle surrounding the edge of the pool. At the center of this circle were Azolla and Eytelia.

Slowly, she waded her way back out of the pool, letting the water drip down from her body as she did so, and stood before all of her sisters.

“Well done sweetie,” Eytelia praised.

Azolla nodded to her, and then offered her the robe once again.

“Welcome to our coven, my dear Cyrilla.”