"... What?" After a moment of stunned silence, Elluin found herself blurting the word out without considering its appropriateness. What her Father asked, no, ordered, her to do was an incredibly ridiculous notion. It went against a longstanding tradition that had existed since the founding of the Kingdom, started by the Hero King himself. Furthermore, for the Princess herself to not attend the Ceremony would tarnish the reputation of the Royal Family and sully the Church of Light, and, by extension, the gods. Especially the Morning Star: the deity of Aevia, patron of the Lightbringer, the first King, and every other monarch who followed after, including her Father.

Her Father had always been a man of great intelligence and wisdom, and this order... was something markedly unlike him.

"Father..." Elluin wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't find it in herself to verbally agree to her Father's command, while also hesitant to refuse him. Elluin was certain that he was more than well aware of the consequences of his order, which only made his behavior more perplexing. "May I ask why?" It was beyond her to try to understand his reasons, not with the information she had at the moment.

Her Father didn't answer her question, only regarding her with a look of disturbed solemnity.

Again. This was the second time during their meeting that he let his emotions slip.

His silence only served to further exacerbate Elluin's apprehensive concern about the situation. What should I do? The question echoed around her mind as she weighed her options, stuck in a precarious position between yes and no.

I need to attend the Ceremony.

She'd blink once in surprise as the thought flashed across her mind with such conviction that she, at least momentarily, felt certain that that was the correct decision.

"Father, please forgive this child's insolence. However... I must attend the Ceremony. It is my right and duty, both as Elluin and the Princess of Aevia, to honor the custom set forth by the Lightbringer and the Morning Star."

A strange feeling of relief washed over her as she stated her opinion to her father.

"Is that so." Her Father stared directly into her eyes, his gaze now stern and challenging, as a wave of pressure from his exuding mana caused Elluin to flinch. Despite this, however, she continued to hold his gaze with firm conviction - a conviction that her Father seemed to approve of. With a soft sigh, the pressure was gone, and she could stand freely again. "Very well."

Resignation was the tone of his voice as he spoke, before a glimmer of light, and a simple, silver bracelet appeared in front of Elluin. Its design and magic were clearly that of an Immersia, though, instead of the standard gold, it was made of the forbidden metal.

"Father, what-"

"Take it." It was the second great surprise of the day. "You will know when the time is right to use it."

"... As you command, Father."

"Now go. Prepare for the Ceremony."

That was her sign to leave. With a confused heart and mind, Elluin would grab the Immersia, before giving her father a curtsy and leaving his study.

First an order to not attend the Ceremony, and now this. Father... She'd glance back at the doors to her Father's study. What are you planning? It wasn't her place to know, but she couldn't help but feel both anxious and curious.

Whatever it was... she was sure that it involved her and the gods.

——

The city had been adorned with decorations weeks in advance. Banners in the kingdom's colors - royal blue and gold - fluttered from every building, and strings of lanterns crisscrossed the streets, which cast a warm, welcoming glow at night. Flowers, freshly picked and woven into garlands, were draped over doorways and market stalls, filling the air with their sweet fragrance.

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The festival began with a grand parade that wound through the city's main thoroughfares, mainly consisting of floats decorated with intricate designs that depicted scenes from the kingdom's history, mythological stories, and symbols of Light. Accompanying the floats were performers in elaborate costumes, who danced and played music, their movements synchronized with the rhythm of a grand orchestra. The parade's finale happened in the central square, where the King, Elluin, and the rest of the Royal Family, alongside the head of the Church of Light, made a ceremonial appearance, waving to the cheering crowds from the most beautiful of floats.

The end of the grand parade signaled the real start of the Ceremony as the crowds dispersed, and the festivities began.

——

The festivities in the capital this year are of a different scale than before, Elluin noted, as she wandered the streets, garbed in a long, dark green cloak embroidered in golden fabric, hood over her head, to hide her identity. The people thought nothing of it. Why would they? Though the Kingdom knights enforced order across Aevia, there were never any crimes committed.

Everywhere she went, the streets were filled with activity as vendors, both local and those who came from afar, sold an array of goods - various crafts, jewelry, exotic spices, magical trinkets, and delicious street food, which filled the air with the scent of roasted meats, freshly baked pastries, and sweet treats.

There were also stages set up for performances of music, theater, and dance, meant for the local and traveling troupes who wished to entertain the crowds with their talents, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the kingdom.

Most important of all, however, was the series of competitive events, from archery contests and horse races to duels between knights and mages, and grandiose displays of magic. These contests, which lasted until the night, were a chance for both amateurs and professionals to develop a sense of camaraderie and friendly rivalry, as well as gain status and honor by displaying their skills. All under the eyes of a cheering crowd, watchful nobles looking for people to recruit, and other people.

Elluin was watching one of these contests as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting the sky in a beautiful hue of red, orange, and yellow. A momentary silence rippled across the city at the first signs of sunset; the time for the Offering had come.

——

She stood on a beautifully adorned balcony situated on the edges of the central square, where a simple, wooden platform had been erected at its center, with a large, iridescent crystal sitting at the back. Elluin watched as other children her age went up the platform, one by one, and adopted a kneeling, praying position before the High Priest of the Church of Light, before they asked the gods to grace the child before them with their blessings.

Many ended up becoming one of the Chosen as the symbol of their god flared above them, though the number of those who were not greatly outnumbered them. Chosen or not, however, each child was given an Immersia by the Head Priest, had their dormant powers unlocked, and led to the crystal for their initial measuring.

The crystal, designed to measure one's initial power and potential, could light up in the hues of the rainbow, white, or gold, depending on the person it was measuring. Gold, reflecting the color of the Morning Star, was the highest tier, while red was the lowest.

To Elluin's mild surprise, there were a few golds among the recent Chosen. More than, if she remembered correctly, the previous Ceremonies she attended.

Still, the Offering would carry on, until at last, as the sole person remaining, her turn arrived.

"Elluin Friacis Harmonia."

The High Priest's voice was soft and full of a warmth befitting someone of their position and nature. They beckoned to her as she calmly strode through the polished stone of the central square, waiting patiently as she stepped up the stairs to the platform, then knelt before them, hands in prayer.

"The gods above..."

She wasn't nervous. Her Father and brother had both been chosen by the Morning Star, as had the other monarchs and heirs that came before her.

"This child offers her being to you."

A cool feeling of certainty washed over her, and something in her heart told her that, today, she would be chosen.

"Your Humble Servant asks you, under the name of the Morning Star..."

My Child...

A forlorn voice spoke to her, as a presence, distant yet incomprehensibly vast like an ocean, touched her mind.

"Please grace this child with your light."

A crippling feeling of heartbroken grief struck her as the presence wailed in a screeching cacophany of a thousand voices.

An endless pillar of silver light erupted from the ground beneath her, enveloping her in its cold embrace as she silently screamed with the voices.

Our Gift to you...

The pillar of light tapered off and vanished with the presence in her mind.

And the people in the crowd, the moment they could see, shared a collective gasp as they and the High Priest stared above her head with expressions of tense fear.

"Elluin Friacis Harmonia. You have been chosen..."

A prickling feeling of dread burrowed into her heart as she lifted her head, for serenely blazing above her was a pale, flawless...

Crescent Moon.

"By the Crescent Moon."