I’m still wearing a pair of muddy black work boots with a white apron tied around a sack of a black dress. I look like the help compared to the other trainees oozing regality. Everyone else is decked out in flowing slick gowns, fancy shoes, and glorious crowns made of gold and silver. Who I assume are in the running to become gods are shirtless, dyed sashes covering them below the waist. And those on their way to becoming goddesses wear cloaks with connected collars that match their gowns and veils. All wear crowns though, which makes the absence of one on my head even more noticeable. I’ll get a uniform, at least I assume I will. But will they also give me a crown like them? Each has a stone in the middle, which I can only assume corresponds to their birthstone. None of my lessons spoke of crowns, so I shuffle forward, unable to stand still as wave after wave of new trainees enters Atherna pushing me forward.
As we cross the gates and the puffs of clouds that act as the ground, the doors swing open to the academy by what can only be magick. Once we enter, what I see becomes more familiar. It is set up like a university, with high ceilings and rows of classrooms, absent of any color. I think, at least. I feel like I can’t trust my eyes anymore, and that’s the only truth I can hold onto. Mother did warn me nothing in this realm is like ours. It molds itself to what is most comfortable to those who are in it. For all I know, the academy doesn’t look like a cobbled together university from the few times Mother allowed me to watch TV. No, it most likely looks like what I saw outside, only more vibrant and shocking, so much so that my mind has twisted it into something vaguely familiar. Maybe that’s why everything is now bleached white inside, so unlike the swirling stones that decorate the exterior. The starkness of the whiteness makes me stand out even more, dull in comparison to the rest of my cycle who do not blend into the walls around them. My clothes may not be bleached white, but I might as well be invisible.
“Nyx, be patient, please. I promise I'll feed you soon,” I whisper into my pet owl’s ear as he wakes, starting to get fussy, wanting to fly away in search of a meal. It's his usual routine. I’m not sure if there’s food for him to eat here, mice and the like. But I do know that infused with my magick, he’ll do well. Because Nyx is not a normal owl. Like a birthstone, he is my guardian who has been with me since birth. I may not have a fancy crown on my head, but it looks as though I’m the only trainee that came with a guest. I’m also the only trainee that looks conventionally human.
It’s been forty-thousand years since a human ascended to goddesshood, so that means all the beings around me are the demi-divine, once human somewhere far, far down their bloodline. It explains why they’re all so tall, spindly even, taller than even the Messengers that were sent to bring me here. And, on closer inspection, each celestial is not only beautiful; they are also actively hostile. Their eyes gaze down at me with various shades of contempt and wonder. I shrink away from them, just following the crowd, confused as to what I should be doing and where I need to go. No one gives you instructions on how to become immortal, at least not useful ones anyway once you’re thrust into the moment. So, I mill about with everyone else until a loud sound draws our attention.
“Woah!” I gasp as the hallway opens up into a massive library that goes on and on and on with so many books I can’t even begin to start counting. On the ceiling are portals made up of various zodiacs I recognize. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Hawk, Beaver, Deer, Woodpecker, Salmon, Bear, Raven, Snake, Owl, Goose, Otter, and Wolf. Western, eastern, and a particular indigenous totem all segmented into twelve legends or everyday creatures. As I gawk up at the floating zodiacs, the crowd parts around me, and two hands land on my shoulders. I spin around, surprised to find an even taller woman than the others who surround me.
“Daughter of the Moon.” The lanky stone gray woman bellows, folding her arms in front of her, straight white hair tickling my nose as she bends her neck to look down on me. Her words are not a question though, now that my mind is working again. It’s a statement. She’s telling me who I am, as Mother drilled into me, something to be proud of back home.
“Y-yes?” I answer her, knowing I am of the moon, Earth’s moon to be exact, somewhere far down my own bloodline.
“You have been slotted for Selene. I am the dorm’s Patroness, and you shall call me Patroness, mortal. Come with me to complete your registration. This room is not meant for you. You are but a fledgling godling on her first cycle. Come.” A collective gasp filled the library, followed by a wave of snickering and whispers. I hang my head. Though I don’t understand what Dorm Selene entails, I know it isn’t anything good just by the oppressive mood in the room as the demi-divine jeer at me while I’m led out. We're back in the hallway by the time I catch up with the giantess’s wide footsteps. As we walk, I’m stunned to see that my clothes are changing. Suddenly I’m wearing a long pale blue dress with a matching cloak and veil, the upper half adorned with tiny moon lilies. I touch my head and sure enough, a crown is there. I remove it, marvelling at the moonstone embedded into the gold. I don’t know what it means here if our uniforms mean anything at all, but I’m comforted by the fact that I’m not totally out of place anymore. However, I don’t have long to marvel at my new wardrobe, stumbling over the silk, way too long for my short legs. I crash into another trainee who shoves me away.
“Move, mortal! How dare you lay your hands on me!” She screams so loud that others start looking at me. I curl up into myself, trying to ignore them when Nyx goes wild. My pet owl flicks his head to the left, staring at me with his white heart-shaped face, before attacking the immortal taunting me. Others come to her aid. But Nyx turns towards them, lifts his large tawny-brown wings, black and white spots dissolving with one hard flap. They light up a brilliant golden orange, creating a gust of wind so strong the bully is knocked back along with the crowd. My mouth flies open, and I shout, pleading with him to stop.
“Stop Nyx! Stop it right now before she kills you!” He may be my guardian infused with magick, but to my knowledge, Nyx is not immortal. And, more importantly, he can’t defeat a pissed off goddess-in-training if she gets serious. Before I can step in, however, I’m in for another shock. A flash of ebony and ivory, and then fire and darkness. Next thing I know I’m crushed against a pale wall by a giant. His dark eyes lined in kohl glare down at me, an all-consuming magnetism radiating from them. I shudder, suck in a sharp breath, and cower. Fear! That’s what’s pumping through my veins, burning hot and hard inside of my chest. But I can’t deny the other emotion building there, causing my knees to buckle. Lust...
4
Adonis
Yesterday, Ramses convinced me that the universe needed to be destroyed. But, as I look down at the human godling named Paloma, her big black eyes reminding me of the darkness of deep space, I can’t help but wonder if he’s wrong and if we’re wrong, and our destiny is before us? She looks like she did down on Earth, but unobscured, she is radiant in a way that snatches my breath away. Paloma flinches away as Ramses steps forward, back slamming against the wall as he boxes her in. He can feel it too, the pull of her magick, and the memory of her body. Her golden crown is slightly askew, translucent gem embedded in it befitting of our new home. Selene? She’s a direct descendant of Earth’s Moon. An ill-fated inheritance, but not something that has to determine the future. The lilies embroidered in her silk gown and collar glow the closer Ramses is to her, and as I step forward, they practically shine like the rising sun. I squint, temporarily blinded not only by her beauty but the inherent pureness of her magick. It's like we are meant for each other. Yes, that's right! We are all meant for each other, and that is why the pull is so strong.
“Absolutely exquisite.” At first, I don’t even recognize my voice, so entranced that it sounds distant and unfamiliar to my ears. But when her face turns towards me, blinking slowly, I know it was me who spoke. I blush, embarrassed for the fi
rst time in a very long time. I feel like a lovesick youth from the legends of old who found themselves ensnared by the beauty of something untouchable and unknowable which lead them to their doom.
Her guardian bristles under our attention, pecking at Ramses who swats it away. I chuckle as Paloma yells at him, ducks underneath his arms while he's distracted, and backs away. She pulls her silk cape around her as the owl lands on her shoulder, eyes still wide. Paloma reminds me more of a curious fawn than a newly anointed goddess-in-training, unable to run away, drawn to us like we are to her. We are but moths attracted to her irresistible cosmic flame.
“Who are you?” She asks. Her voice is a gentle melody befitting of her beauty.
“We…” I begin, drifting off as I come up behind Ramses and clasp his shoulder. He turns his face towards me, frowning, before turning all of his attention back to her.
“…are your Knights,” he grunts out, finishing my sentence. A small smile creeps across my face until I’m grinning. At first, I was with Ramses. To seek revenge. To destroy the universe and make it anew. It all sounded so right, and we were so sure. But now I know that our plans must change. Unlike him, I have never thought of fate as a fickle thing. It grabs a hold of your future and holds, dangling alternatives that ultimately will never pan out. There is only one path before us, and one future to pursue. Let the games begin because as her knights, we cannot fail our goddess. Not now, not ever. No one has to explain to me that Paloma Jing, Adonis, and I are destined to be.
5
Paloma
What these twin Knights of the Zodiac are saying to me is impossible, and yet I know it to be true. The glow of my cosmic gem, and the way my magick blossoms, infused into the moon lilies on my uniform is unmistakable. The bond, our bond, is forming. Mother told me it would feel like being swept off my feet quite literally, a sensation that would fill me like helium in a balloon and float like one too. And it feels like that now, so hot yet airy, sweet but not pure. I can feel myself blushing as a hush falls over the crowd of incoming trainees like the Messengers and me, as I stare up into the faces of not one, but two Zodiac Knights assigned to my unit. It’s impossible, and yet, it is true. Our stars align, my birth cycle’s arrow slashing through the projected image of cupped hands, one obsidian and the other nearly translucent, matching their skin. Nyx’s golden wings fan out, larger than they’ve ever been before, shielding me from them and the crowd of trainees gathering to watch what is going on. As they close in on us, I can feel my heart pounding out of control. Nyx nuzzles my chest, and I wrap my arms around his tiny body and hold.
What are we going to do now? What happens when a goddess-in-training is paired off before the first cycle even begins? I turn back to Selene’s unnamed Patroness who has been standing there doing nothing, simply staring at everything unfolding. Her silver eyebrows lift in surprise, but she quickly schools her expression. Her gray skin ripples and shimmers like a snake before she parts her thin lips to speak finally.
“How strange this is, but not unheard of to be blessed during one’s first cycle. Welcome, Paloma, Daughter of the Moon. Welcome, Ramses and Adonis, Guardians of the Moon. I welcome you to Selene.” And with those simple words, my fate is sealed.
“Ow!” I wince as something seers me in between my breasts. I peek down the top of my dress and gasp when I see a black ring affixed there. I look up and over at them, and sure enough, the Messengers I know as Ramses and Adonis have matching black circles on their exposed chests. There’s no running away now. No seeking a loophole to leave Atherna and make it on my own back down on Earth. Now we’re a unit, a goddess-in-training with two Zodiac Knights. A once in a lifetime chance is before me now—win, become a goddess, and save Earth. And with both of them by my side, my chances have gone from zero to maybe fifty percent. The odds are stacked against me, but they were before I ever stepped foot at the academy. Now, I must seize my destiny and become the star that my people need...if I can resist the pull of their magick long enough not to burn bright and fall like a meteorite out of sky.
To Be Continued
Thank you for reading “Cycle Zero, The Inheritance,” the introduction into the universe of Atherna Academy, a new adult sci-fantasy reverse harem academy romance series! Want to find out what happens when goddess-in-training Paloma Jing and her trusty pet owl Nyx enter a celestial realm filled with zodiac knights and intrigue? Pre-order Atherna Academy: Cycle One, The Ceremony debuting in 2022 here: https://books2read.com/athernaone
About Zelda Knight
Zelda Knight writes speculative romance (horror, science fiction, and fantasy). She’s also a cryptozoologist in training. Keep in touch on social media @AuthorZKnight. Or, visit www.zeldaknight.com. You can also email [email protected].
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Starlight & Shadows: A Limited Edition Academy Collection by Laura Greenwood, Arizona Tape, Juliana Haygert, Kat Parrish, Ashley McLeo, L.C. Mawson, Leigh Kelsey, Bre Lockhart, Zelda Knight Page 34