Finn’s mind went to Casmir, Deacon, Himothy, and Keeva. The traitors who’d sealed the breach and abandoned them. So they had known and had been part of this from the start?
"...But the two Rank 2 Gods got the short end of their bargain," Luna said, then paused, before speaking again, more slowly this time.
"I tell you this to demonstrate sincerity... The Storm Goddess and Shadow God are dead. Truly dead. No one knows this except the God of Secrets, who shrouded that fact, and the Moon Mother, who has already begun claiming their divine authorities under Her umbrella. But it won’t remain secret for long. The Sun Gods will discover the truth soon enough."
Finn frowned. "Sun Gods? Plural? I thought the—" he caught himself. "—I thought He was the Sun God."
"The Radiant One is a Rank 1 God on par with the Moon Mother," Luna corrected. "The Sun Gods are His children... multiple deities born from His divine essence, just as I and my sisters were born from the Moon Mother. They form a pantheon, and they are..." She paused, choosing words carefully. "Aggressive in their expansion."
Finn’s discomfort deepened further. Everything he learned made him more and more regretful of his bold actions in that desert settlement.
"You need not fear," Luna said, clearly reading his reaction. "The Moon Mother has hidden you from Their gaze. For now, you remain shrouded."
"For now," Finn repeated flatly.
"Which brings me to why I’m here." Luna’s expression became businesslike. "You need the Moon Mother, through me, as an ally. With our support, you can be guided to a stage where you can stand on your own as a divine being. Where you won’t simply be prey for every God who learns of your existence."
Finn’s analytical mind immediately flagged the offer as too generous. No one gave such aid freely, especially in a world where Gods competed for power and faith. There had to be a cost. A dire one at that.
Luna saw the doubt written clearly in his posture and nodded approvingly. "Your suspicion is well-founded. Let me be clear about what the Moon Mother demands in exchange."
She raised one finger. "But first, let me paint your current situation plainly, so you understand exactly what you’re facing."
Finn waited.
"You are in a world that is not yours," Luna began, counting points on her fingers. "You were brought here by a Great One who, after delivering you, removed His direct involvement. Your former Transcendent companions know the reason for your presence to some extent, and they want you here for that purpose. The Moon Mother also knows that reason and has deemed you worthy — not of help, but of an alliance."
A second finger. "The Sun Gods know of you and desire you for their own benefit. Other Rank 1 Gods are moving in the shadows, pursuing their own agendas. Even Rank 2 Gods are beginning to catch wind that something momentous is unfolding."
A third finger. "And the God of Secrets deemed your situation important enough to act after eons of silence. Generations of major events passed without drawing Him out, yet you warranted His intervention."
She lowered her hand and met Finn’s masked gaze directly.
"You are a prize. A treasure that every faction seeks to claim for their own purposes. But you lack the strength to protect yourself from even the weakest God who might decide to take you by force."
Finn said nothing. She was right, and they both knew it.
"The only advantage you possess," Luna continued, "is the Mnemosyne. She will guide you, in her own way. She was placed beside you by the Great One, and she is the only person in this entire situation that no one can touch. The mark of the Great One lies within her already. She has evolved to become the Memory of this world itself."
Luna’s smile turned ironic. "It’s almost poetic. The one person with all the answers is also the one who cannot be forced to reveal them. Cannot be harmed, cannot be coerced, cannot be killed."
Finn kept listening, but his mind was instinctively moving, analyzing the implications of having the eyes of a Great One right beside him at all times. The same entity that wanted him here for "His" own reason.
While he thought of this, his pragmatic mind didn’t fail to consider how to use Ailin — or rather, the Mnemosyne, with her ’untouchable’ mark, to the best of his abilities.
"You can verify everything I’ve said with the Mnemosyne," Luna offered. "She cannot speak the full truth, but she can confirm or deny what I’ve told you. And she will confirm this: the Moon Mother means well. But She recognizes you will not accept aid without understanding the cost."
Luna’s expression became almost apologetic.
"So here is the cost: when you discover ’it’, you will grant the Moon Mother an opportunity to claim ’it’."
Finn’s eyes narrowed. "What is ’it’?"
"I don’t know," Luna admitted. "I am merely delivering the Moon Mother’s message. She did not share that detail even with me."
Red flags flared in Finn’s mind. What kind of cost was that? A promise about something he didn’t have yet, something he didn’t know if he’d be willing to give up at all?
This was the kind of cost that defaulting meant enslaving oneself to a God. As someone who had dealt with costs in the form of soul debts as an Ossuarist, Finn could see the dangerous eventualities this could lead to.
But Luna wasn’t finished.
"In exchange for that future opportunity," she continued, "the Moon Mother will aid you in becoming a full-fledged God. And you have two paths to choose from."
She raised one finger. "First path: ascend to Rank 2 immediately. Right here, right now. The evolution would take three days at most, given the divine talent I’ve witnessed from you. With the Moon Mother’s direct assistance, you could even push toward the peak of Rank 2 rapidly."
Her voice took on an almost seductive quality, one that was unlike the physical seduction from earlier, but instead, laced with the appeal of pure power.
"You would instantly gain the ability to protect yourself. To escape even from the Radiant One Himself if necessary. Your Error concept would make you one of the more formidable Rank 2 Gods, with your error manifesting divine authority through the masculine, vigorous aspects of the Moon Mother that have never manifested as separate deities before."
She paused. "With time and proper cultivation, you would ascend to Rank 1. And given your unique nature, you might even push toward the peak of that rank."
Finn simply listened.
"Or," Luna continued, raising a second finger, "you climb the ladder of divinity on your own. The Moon Mother would provide only experiential guidance mostly through me. There will be no direct divine intervention or shortcuts. Only knowledge and a safe space to develop will be provided."
Her expression grew grave. "But note that the ’safe sanctuary’ would last only one year. Wherever you stand after that year ends, you will be exposed to the open world. The Moon Mother’s shroud will lift. Every God who seeks you will know where to find you."
She lowered both hands. "The choice is yours..."