For the light to shine brightly, darkness must be present.

~Francis Bacon

"You are... Shining."

That was the first thing Awen blurted out when she opened her eyes again, she kept staring at the old woman beautifully smiling towards her whom she had thought she knew very well.

The old woman was standing confidently in her seven feet height five inches higher than Anastacia. Her hair that Awen thought was white like hers was shining like the Gold star in the east and her face was beautiful even though her eyes and skin were sunken. Awen knew she was strikingly beautiful in her younger years watching her beauty in this light.

Even her untouchable calm demeanor made her stand out from the rest of the people Awen had encountered.

"Light shines the brightest in the heart of darkness, Awen." The old woman looked straight at Awen. She always spoke in puzzling riddles but at this moment. It did make sense for Awen.

"You've never changed from the first day I saw you behind the gates of the shrine, you love wearing dirty clothes that almost looked like rags. Yes?"

By the mention of the shrine. The wind howled as if the evil lurking in the air read Awen's thoughts. Faint voices from afar started to laugh and whisper.

Awen bolted up and grabbed the old woman's hand in fear, the anxiety spread again with her drumming heart. Her jumble words have been stopped only when the old lady grabbed her shoulders with so much gentleness.

"Courage Awen, courage. Fear only weakens your mind and would try to sabotage your strong heart. There is much more horror in the living than the demons who can only whisper lies."

The uncompromising calmness in her eyes made Awen's trembling heart set at unexplainable peace even though her mind still remembers the terror she went through with Anastacia.

And remembering Anastacia, she immediately looked around for the chestnut beauty. Only to find the taller girl sitting not far from her with some bandages on her hand.

"I am sorry I was not able---" Awen tightly hugged Anastacia she was so grateful to see again this girl, but after a few moments, she searched the chestnut beauty's face, especially her eyes. Though Anastacia had this shadow of grim and horror obvious on her face Awen was thankful she was still human.

"I guess am insane, this is the first time am so glad to see your irritating ugly face, Rohan."

The chestnut beauty's brow rose in obvious irritation, but a small smile stretch her lips that slightly brighten her face. "You can live longer even longer than the guardian if you only knew how to shut your stupid mouth."

Two girls hugged each other again, they enjoyed the little moment they had until one of the guardians cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to cut your sweet moments ladies, if you both won't mind we need a little help here."

A red blush appeared on both ladies that they quickly brushed away by coughing, averting their eyes from another old lady who briefly bowed down to the head guardian.

"Sister, the preparations are done."

Awen then realized the surroundings, they were behind the two Narra trees while the purple-black orb was idle on the other side, but it was now occupying enveloping the entire vicinity of the shrine. However, the two gigantic trees seemed to get bigger and taller than they used to be in Awen's eyes. The branches and trunks were getting larger than she could remember as if the trees were holding the orb.

She then noticed the small shiny ancient letters covering the body of the trees and the letters were mysteriously Impulsing.

"You think the Narra trees were mere decorations?" The guardian winked at Awen reading her baffled face of her.

"These trees were the true guardians of the shrine. The first guardian mentioned before, these trees were planted by the Goddess herself, one of her few mementos."

Deborah one of the guardians was carrying an incense holder and gave it to the head priestess. Awen could smell the burning incense in it and could see a sparkling colorful crystal inside it.

The guardian then moved to sway the incense holder in front of two Narra trees while speaking in an ancient language as if she was singing.

Then the small ancient letters began to shine even brighter the purple-black orb seemed to pull back a little, but it only lasted for several seconds before it returned to its original spot.

"Just like the way you described it sister, but it looks like it was far worse than we had thought."

There was an obvious lace of doubt in those words, but the head priestess gently hold Deborah's shoulder and handed the incense holder. "As long as someone is waiting to be saved, we were never too late, sister."

Realizing what the head priestess meant by those words. Awen and Anastasia walked forward to protest.

"Please don't go there! I saw it. I saw the demon with my own eyes you have to believe me. This thing is far more dangerous than what you think, we have to leave now please." Anastasia didn't realize she was clenching the robe of the head priestess until the head priestess herself gently hold her hands and accidentally touched the gold leaves bracelet on her arm.

Colors spread on Anastasia's face realizing she have been caught in such a vulnerable and awkward state. But the priestess has an unreadable look towards Anastacia before the old lady briefly glances at Awen and turned to Anastacia again but this time a small smile was playing on her pale thin lips.

"I know you knew very well these words written in this..." The old lady chuckle a little and moved closely to whisper in Anastacia's ear. "...It almost like a love confession to her."

Anastacia's eyes widened more than before and her face turned into a shade of tomato before she hide it from the laughing Priestess.

The head priestess then turned to bewildered Awen who also grabbed her robe, she then uncovers Awen's hair and slightly fixes it while her eyes gleamed with meaningful light. When Awen Lockhart followed what the priestess was staring at. It was now Awen turned to blush.

"If you were a mother of a curious child who carelessly invited some dangerous strangers inside your house, will you turn a blind eye and let them invade your house?"

Awen was dumbfounded at the strange question of the head priestess but surprisingly she was able to mumble her answer. "No..."

The head priestess beautifully smiled back at her before she pulled a small bell from her sleeves and gave it to Awen. "Some strangers need an awful spanking to be kicked out, especially if they don't want to be kicked out."

Till now, there was no direct answer on what the head priestess was about, and Awen was left staring, observing the bell that has been given to her. It has the markings of both sun and the moon goddess yet there was also some symbols that she hasn't seen before.

"I will leave the burning of incense to you, Awen." The priestess looked to Devora, then the old lady briefly nodded and handed the holder to Awen.

"I couldn't maintain this form inside that darkness so I want you to ring the bell three times when you heard mine."

The priestess showed the same bell to her and rang it once to test the sound yet the sound was a little louder than she had calculated. The wind also seemed to shift as if it was answering the sound.

Then the priestess turned to Anastasia, she handed a scroll written in an ancient language and a handheld golden compass with the symbol of the sun.

"Ancient words were intricate and some were complicated to understand, but you're one of the few who can speak and understand the ancient language."

The priestess opened the scroll for Anastasia. "I want you to read starting from here. If you finished the entire scroll, I want you to reread it loud and clear from the very beginning. Even if it's hard Anastasia, demons are cunning and manipulative. But you must not stop."

Anastasia and Awen gulped from the intensity of the task. They stared at the priestess with a shadow of horror yet the head priestess looked straight into their eyes as if she already knew what they were thinking.

"Beneath this scroll is a gift from me, if ever you sell the one I put it inside your baggy in the future." She whispered the last statement and then playfully winked.

Both ladies were dumbfounded. They could not find words to answer the guardian. All this time the head priestess knew their plans.

"We put a line of sea salt and some crystals behind the trees, do not enter that line no matter what, this will be your lifeline." The seriousness in the eyes of the priestess made both ladies shudder.

"I and the shrine are the current suns the compass can detect. We can't use the compass inside that orb but if you noticed the hand of the compass goes wild, don't fret. It means we're not taking the right path, so I want you to speak the ancient words loud and precise. So if Awen and I ring our bells, I will hear your voice clear enough to find our way."

Both ladies knew this wasn't a request but an order coming from the guardian of the shrine. They were clutching the objects that have been given to them. The gravity of the task they were about to take was enough to give them creeps and cold sweats.

"Yes, head priestess." They both said in unison with teary eyes.

The bright smile reappeared again from the old lady. Not because Awen and Anastasia could understand her but the fact the two girls were acknowledging her as a head priestess for the very first time.

"I think, I'll be missing the word granny from now on." As if on cue, both girls cried hard like a child in the priestess's arms Blush was evident on their cheeks. The priestess lovingly hugged them tightly and kissed their both heads.

Awen and Anastasia already missed the normal dull days inside the shrine. The way the old woman would yell their both names when caught stealing some cookies or caught sleeping during classes. The way the old woman would pretend to smile when they were both caught cheating and of course her beautiful voice every time she will sing hymns for the goddess. They already missed it and wished this night of terror would pass if they open their eyes again.

"I am very sorry, this old hag put you both in such a horrible task. But I will always pray for your wonderful journey after this last request of mine."

The head priestess only tapped their burning cheeks and wiped away their tears. The head priestess then said in ancient speaking. "May the blessing and protection of the almighty sun shower upon you."

"Amen." The other two older priestesses responded with small smiles fixed on their faces.

"One more request from this old hag." The priestess' voice was harder and firm this time. Before she turned around to face the darkness.

"If the compass suddenly broke down, and when I am no longer ringing this bell. I want both of you to flee and forget everything about this shrine."

And as if the darkness granted the wish. Everything Awen could remember was a scratching voice screaming in the distance and the blinding light of the sun that darkness consumed.