As we ran through the streets, the festival was being packed away.
Stalls and games broken down and packed away in carts, food stalls rolling home.
We made it to the church right as most of the people were leaving it.
It was a tall, grand structure.
The steeple reached for the orange evening sky, the bell just beginning to toll the hour.
Gargoyles trailed down the scalloped shingles, down to the white stone that made up the building.
The doors and windows were elaborately chiseled, presenting long, straight, and strong lines.
The doors were massive, leading into the steeple, a dark wood.
For now, they were wide open, and priests and priestesses buzzed about inside, packing things away in preparation of closing.
We brushed past the lollygaggers, and into the church proper.
Pews lined the long hallway to the pulpit, where a statue of the creator god looked down on his congregation.
On either side of the room were smaller alters, with statues dedicated to each of his children.
Boys on the right, girls on the left.
Six altogether, three on either side.
I looked between each of the three goddesses, unsure.
Which one was Elesia?
“Five minutes before the doors close!
Please finish up your worship!” A young priest called out.
Rey and I shared a look of panic, and I took out my flower, looking at it.
“Are you okay?” Ack!
I jumped a little and looked behind us.
A young nun, in a fancy habit.
She had kindly brown eyes, and a soft smile.
Rey breathed a sigh of relief.
“Um, excuse me ma’am, but can you tell us which statue is Elesia?” “M-Ma’am?” She was a little startled before sighing.
“Alas, not even the gods can turn back the clock…” She glanced at the flower in my hand and perked up.
“Oh my.
Are the two of you here because of the legend?
To receive Elesia’s blessing?” Rey reddened.
“Uh… yes…” I snickered and nodded.
“Yeah!
We are!” She clapped her hands in delight.
“Oh, a pair of honest to God childhood sweethearts!
The two of you are just darling.
Come right along.
Elesia is on the right, closest to the Creator God as his firstborn.” She ushered us over and stood back as we laid the flower as the beautiful statue’s feet.
“Okay, now you just have to pray to the goddess, and she’ll bless your relationship!” Pray?
The old lady didn’t say anything about that.
But we glanced at each other and bowed our heads in prayer anyway.
It couldn’t hurt.
Elesia, please let me stay with Rey for a long, long time.
I looked up, back at the statue.
Her smiled was the same as when we came in, mysterious, yet soft.
“Saintess…” Huh?
I turned to see the young priest bowing to the nun.
She sighed and turned back to us.
“Okay you two, I’m afraid the church is closing.
You should hurry on home, and prepare for the Darkest Night, okay?
I hear it’s going to be a spectacular one this year.” Rey and I nodded and thanked her for her help before hurrying out.
The streets were almost completely deserted.
The sky blazed orange, turning to blue, saying our time before the Darkest Night was limited.
Rey checked the clock tower.
“Crap.
We better run back to the plaza!” I checked it too.
Only an hour before it started!
We took off, rushing through the streets in a hurry to get back in time.
We made it, just as the last vestiges of light were fading.
We pushed through to our camp, where the Jolly Fools were dimming the fire, and everyone rushed about, making sure each and every candle, lantern, and spark was out.
“Kids!
The two of you really cut it close.” Lupa crossed her arms and smiled at us.
Mel shrugged.
“It’s not like they couldn’t have seen it from elsewhere in the city.” Rhina, the beautiful amazon reclined at the table.
“It’s tradition to watch the stars from where you lay your head to rest.
So that the light may find you and bless you.” Akari looked up in anticipation.
“In my home country, people believe the light is the wishes cast on stars being granted.
That’s why we call it the Wishing Festival.
Peter shushed everyone.
“Everyone hush!
We must be quiet for the show.
And back to your tents.” Everyone fell silent and we all rushed to our tents.
Rey and I stood outside ours, looking up in anticipation.
There.
The first spark.
Then a second.
It was like the stars were exploding.
They popped, one after another in rapid succession.
The light from the explosions began to rain down upon us, leaving ghostly trails of blue.
We all held our breaths as it landed on us, leaving a bit of stardust before winking out for good.
It lasted about ten minutes.
Every star exploded and rained down its light.
And when it was over?
Not a single star remained in the sky.
At least… for the next twenty minutes.
Then the soft twinkling lights began to return, fading back in around the moon.
Oh wow… It was incredible every time I saw it.
I’ll never get tired of seeing that.
I glanced over at Rey, and his eyes glowed with the star’s reflection.
They were filled with wonder.
It was the greatest light show in the world.
All around the world in fact.
Of course, there was an actual explanation for it.
The stars didn’t actually explode.
It was mana in the sky, that gets agitated.
Then, during the night, once every year, it reflects the starlight, bursts, and rains down on the earth, feeding back into the natural mana cycle of the world.
And thanks to the mana all raining down at once, the starlight gets temporarily reflected.
But still.
No amount of explanation can explain the wonder of seeing the night sky explode all at once.
Like the world’s most brilliant fireworks show.
And then the empty tranquility of a dark sky, only the moon illuminating the world.
I felt a hand gently grasp mine.
I looked over at Rey.
“Kat.
I can’t wait until next year so we can watch it together again.” His eyes shone, and he smiled.
I tightened my grip on his hand, my stomach doing a little flip-flop.
It was our first time watching the Darkest Night together.
But it certainly won’t be our last.
“Me either.”