I didn't go to the Blue Star Festival in the past years for a few reasons. One, I was taking care of Teketa and organising events. Two, the reminders of suicide and the way Bracus apprehended me. Evanitarians looked at me with disgrace and that would never leave me. Now with Aelen and Teketa on my side, I will go with them this time. I shouldn't push myself away from misdeeds that are probably cleared up by now. Evanitarians saw me at Blath's coronation as the new lord.

I create a portal to Evanity. The blue star's light is so intense that I put on strong sunglasses to shield my eyes. How Verantuvians never go blind is still a mystery. Aelen laughs at me as his eyes turn Sun-like. He is wearing a baddy orange notch lapel tuxedo that looks like the Sun. Well, the jacket looks like the Sun while the inner shirt is white. He has been wearing the same mask for the past five years, but with different colours to match with his shirt. No one says anything. I'm wearing a red and white lolita dress with a long tight skirt. I have white gloves on. My mask crown is already part of my body; I expand it to cover my mouth.

"Ladies first," Aelen says while moving to the side of the portal.

"Aelen, you go," I deny, "I need to shut this portal behind me."

"As you wish." He enters the portal. I am the only one in Teketa. It feels damn silent, yet quite peaceful at the same time. The absence of the sound of birds and Teketa having a good time add more to the soundless dissonance. It's so quiet that I can hear the leaves falling. I need to go; Aelen is waiting for me.

***

Aelen and I get to sleep on one of the floors in Ourdera's palace or should I say Blathnaid's palace. Aelen explains that Teketa gets to sleep in one of the reserved skyscrapers built for travellers for the festival. They are called Yvives. He never saw them in person, but from what he heard from the Teketa, they are like four-bedroom high-rise apartments on every floor. Yvives are large, so they can fit several apartments on every floor. All of the rooms are just that. The space is livable and ridiculously clean. Why can't all hotels be like that, instead of buying an expensive suite, only to find an earwig on the wall? I give credit to Evanitarians for cleaning up for millions of people going to Evanity for the Blue Star Festival every year.

Aelen and I are sleeping on Netedinark's floor. There are no dark walls with bright annoying white lanterns. It looks the same when I was on Bracus's floor when I was detained by him. It's only in the rooms that things become uniquely decorative. My room reminds me of the Yin and Yang, but in orange and black. The decorative plaque standing on top of the door. The orange shines like the Roedie star while the black looks 3-D reflective. I swear I see the orange's light gets absorbed by it while it spins around and around, feels like a trancing illusion.

They all represent something in this solar system. Orange, Roedie. As for the blackness, it reminds me of the lens flare I always see in the night sky. Bracus informed me it was a supermassive black hole in the outer reaches of the solar system. The stars don't revolve around it because Forgison and Ourdera casted a spell to prevent the solar system from getting whipped around by it. If they didn't do that, it's said that the solar system would be dead within 200 million years. Heh, even the Gods have something against gravity and black holes when it comes to raising a civilization. They are only a last resort once the universe dies.

I'm not at the Blue Star Festival, Nao, my dad tells me telepathically, I'll still be there for Dominique's wedding in a week. I'll see you soon.

It's fine, dad, I respond with a shrug of shoulders, not bothered.

Love you and miss you. Have fun at the festival.

I'll try.

Aelen knocks upon my door. How can I tell it's him because he's the only one on the floor with me? I can hear the footsteps coming from his room since my hyper-hearing decides to kick in at this time. It acts up whenever I'm alone. I quickly get up from the bed and brush myself down.

"Come in!" I grant. He enters with his mask off. He is smiling, but nervous. Odd. He was never scared or nervous for the time we've been ruling Teketa.

I go, "What's up?"

"Nao, I got to ask you something," he tells me. His smile grows more nervous. His body language 'tamed,' but restrained. I can see him blushing. I calmly stare at him. What do I mean by "calmly?" I mean blank.

I raise the brow. "Go ahead, tell me."

"I was joyful that you decided to help me as another Lord of Teketa, but I also held something back for a while. Markus is aware of it. Well, Ivelisse and Blathnaid too."

Uh, what?

He continues, "I didn't say it because you were...busy...and I only met you days ago, but after five years, I decided to say it now. I'm interested in you, Naomi. Instead of being two friendly lords, can we be lovers as Lord and Lady?"

I flame red.

This man has been crushing on me for five years. He has been waiting for years just to tell me this! Why? There were possibly subtle hints, such as one bed in the master bedroom or the sweet secret letters I've found after a week of hell because I can't evade arseholes in Teketa. I thought it was nice, but I also thought it was a stalker. I was clutching close to my sword for two weeks after that. Now it all makes sense. I don't take it as a sign of creepiness at all. I don't necessarily think that Aelen is a creepy guy either. Thank God for that, otherwise, I would be putting in my two weeks' notice. I did have a trusty feeling in Aelen from the first time I met him, but never romantic feelings. I rarely have guy friends. George was the only one. I never was attracted to him in any way. In fact, I experienced very little attraction.

"Do you think Jericho is cute?" Megan asked me while sitting next to me at lunch. We eyed a boy with orangish brown hair, tan skin, and brown eyes.

"He is," I replied monotonically, not interested like Megan was.

"Can you bring him to the prom as your date?" She asked me.

"No," I flat-out refused, "I don't even like him. I am not going to go out with a guy I don't like. I then suggested, "Why don't you go ask him?"

"I already got Dan, Nao," she replied, "Any guy you do have an interest in?"

"No."

"What are you? Gay? Blathnaid might be the start."

"No," I coughed out with annoyance, "Maybe if I know them better, I might have the feeling- I don't know. Besides, Meg, Blath is an ace."

Megan mumbled something beneath her breath, but I couldn't comprehend it.

I have got to know Aelen as the other Lord of the Teketa. The one that helped me establish things that are hard to understand, such as the military and politics. I helped the Teketa rebuild while he made them stronger. Yet what lingers in my mind is do I feel the same way for Aelen? With trust, love follows. When trust breaks, love will fade. It's hard to feel love for those you don't trust. Is it just me?

"I-I don't know," is all I can say to him.

"Pardon?" He lets out.

"I am blind to see the lines of yes and no," I clarify, "I care and I trust you, but I am not sure if I feel love or not."

Aelen goes into silence. Did I hurt him? Did I anger him? Have my words set him back? I don't want to upset Aelen on a night like this. I can't just lie to him, but I can't leave him on a low note, expecting something good about it. "It doesn't mean a no," I tell him, "I can still be your partner at Dominique's wedding. If I do feel it, then let's see how it goes."

"Are you sure about this, Nao?" He asks me, walking close to me, seemingly holding himself back from grabbing my hands.

I nod. "Yes, I'm sure."

His smile becomes cheeky. "There's also got to be a lot of strangers tonight. Want to hang by me and see if this trial gets by?"

I chuckle a bit, "Yes."

He mumbles to himself, purposely wanting me to hear with a grin, "I can't wait to see how you do at the slow dances."

My cheeks turn into cherries again. I hold back my humiliated and vengeful grin. If he says a word, I'm going to kick his butt.

***

The last slow dance of the night. The electronic music turns slow, a sound of the long hum of the beat. It's warm with many people around us dancing to the rhythm. A couple, who are ten feet away to the west of us, tripped on the last song because the lady's leg jerked and kicked the man's shin. He dragged her down with him. No one was hurt, just laughter. The woman danced like a mad lad for the past couple of hours and her legs decided they needed a break from her. It was hard to be angry at them because other people laughed along with them.

My progress on my slow dance is well, not bad. I stumbled and almost tripped a couple of times. He told me not to look at my feet while dancing. No one is going to look down and notice. He said he wasn't "going to cry and scream bloody murder" unless I purposely stomped on his foot. That lightened up my nervousness with my imperfection at slow dancing. My anxiety has also faded because no one around me noticed me as the woman who was arrested by Bracus years ago. I thank the mask for that.

"Are you having fun, Nao?" He asks me with our arms linked.

"Yes," I say with a smile.

"If there weren't so crowded, I would've wurled you around," he tells me.

"Then, you will see me slip and fall on my ass like there's ice on the floor," I say to him with a grin. The imagination of myself slipping on the ground is creating non-existent embarrassment. My mind is not sparing me from the details again.

After several minutes, the music dims down. Aelen and I look at each other. It's time. I hold Aelen's hand as we teleport to the biggest pad. We are in the VIP section, the closest view to see Ourdera or Blathnaid. Perhaps, both. No one else is allowed to enter this VIP section unless they are royals or Gods.

The blueness of the star is making the auroras erratic like musical waves dancing in the sky. My eyes squint to the brightness. Gosh, go away, I say as I finally flick the star from my vision. I didn't kick it out for everyone; I used my old abilities to make obstacles invisible, so I can see behind it. It's something I haven't used in a while.

Gah! Now it's too dark, my eyes adjust to the regular old night sky upon Verantuvia. The Ourdera star has been in my vision for the past several weeks that I have adjusted to it, but its intensity is highly bright. It disappears from my vision. Then, all of a sudden, everything is darker than the Earth's night sky with the stars.

"Hey" "Hello!" We see Blathnaid and Markus next to each other as we greet each other like pals.

"I thought you'd be up there," I say to Blathnaid.

"It's Ourdera's holiday, not mine," she responds, "We haven't changed it for the past five years."

"So Ourdera comes back every year, hangs with her former people, then leaves?"

"Pretty much," Blath shrugs her shoulders, "I also give her reports."

She still cares about Evanity. That warms my heart a little more about Ourdera.

"You finally got the tiger?" Markus asks Aelen with a savage grin.

Tiger?

"No, no, not yet," Aelen replies.

They are referring to me.

"Not yet?" Markus's grin grows sinister, "We saw you two dancing."

Cheeky bastard...and he didn't say hi to us.

"Where? From the palace again?" Aelen fires back.

"Did you forget that I can go on unnoticed, Aelen?"

I cut in before Aelen could say anything, "Nope, you were a couple of feet away from the couple that tripped."

Markus winces at me with a dazzled look as if he has been exposed. "You didn't use your ability," I say to him with a smirk, "Even if you did, we would've sensed it. You're no longer hidden with us, Markus."

Bracus and Dominique walk over to us. "What are guys talking about now?" Bracus asks.

"Casual friend talk," Markus explains before we can say anything.

Bracus doesn't believe him. He then goes, "I did hear about Aelen taming a tiger though." Markus grins. Not this again!

"Close, maybe," Aelen replies, unsure.

"Took you long enough," Dominique teases with a smile. She is well aware. I am sure Bracus overheard us too.

Desperate to shift the focus, "One more week. Excited?"

"Yes!" Dominique replies with a smile while Bracus just nods, holding hands. It feels weird to see Bracus not looking like a humanised wolf. I'm not saying it's horrible, just weird and out of the ordinary for him.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime event for Verantuvia," Ablen pries in, "The whole world would be watching."

"How rare is it for a god to marry?" Markus asks.

"Beyond a mortal's longevity, Markus."

Bracus says, "It took me billions of years with many breakups along the way before I met Dominique. I waited years until I finally went with my gut and decided to marry her."

Ablen chuckles. "I still remember what you did to Kilash as if it were yesterday. Humiliate her treachery to other Gods and Verantuvia as well,"

"Cut it, Ablen," Bracus warns, "That's way in the past." He strokes Dominique's cheek with the back of his hand, "I'm happy with Dominique now." She gladly takes it like a cat getting her neck scratched by a human.

Our attention snaps away from each other as the large star pedestal glows brightly blue. I can turn off the Ourdera star from my view, but never the true Ourdera herself. I was irritated by the star's brightness that I was blind in the darkness, only for my view to emerge again in the blues.

A graceful and otherworldly tall woman appears with a massive skull masking her face, including her eyes. Her silvery hair flows freely and long. She wears an airy loose light-coloured gown that shines brighter. Why is she always in tune with blue? Blue energy that appears as the solar wind swirls around her back and manifests her wings. This is what it looks close to a star with its magnetic loops that can become twisted and snap at any moment, but Ourdera's flows without entanglement. A star will kill anyone who trends too close to its surface, yet Ourdera seems so inviting. Does the invitation come with danger though?

"Greetings to all of Verantuvia!" She announces with a booming glee. Her voice vibrates my soul like harmonic tremors. The cheerful cry of the crowd is the unrelenting earthquake itself.

"The Blue Star Festival comes quickly," she says echoey, "I miss you all. How is Queen Blathnaid doing for you all?"

I flinch at the sound of their screams. By the sounds of it, Blathnaid is doing an exemplary job. Blath smiles with confidence. She wears it well. Out of all the smiles I've seen, she appears more beautiful with a booster of confidence. There's no trace of shiver or quivering nerves anywhere on her body. Supporters have no issue showing that they adore her as their leader.

"Are you all enjoying the Second Light Of Day?" She asks all of us.

Piles of yeses and screams roar from the crowd. I flinch again when Aelen screams beside me. I don't say anything. I don't embody the same craziness as the crowd. It's not that I don't feel the excitement of the festival. I smile and gently clap. I see her gaze clash with my own for a brief second until turning her attention back to the crowd.

"Tell you what, it's about to get brighter," Ourdera says while spinning around. She laughs in pleasure.

My condolences go to those with epilepsy.

She never touches the ground. She gently laughs as the coronal loops from her wings unhook and spread out to us. It circles around every one of us. It's a warm and soft wind. Tingling sensations rise out of ecstasy, making it hard to squeal out of pleasure. The long this coronal loop stays around me, the more powerful the tingling gets. My brain and my nerves are bouncing out of my skin, desperate to go beyond me. The thumping beats return, defibrillating our dances back to life. I turn to Aelen, ready to take his hand, but he doesn't pull his hand out. He is still smiling. He looks at me and gestures to look back at the star pedestal, only to be startled by the goddess herself.

"Lady Ourdera?" I say out of confusion. Even from this angle, it's hard to see her eyes. They're deep back into her skull. She feels a lot more appalling to look at up close than to watch her a couple of feet away.

It's probably her height, I thought to myself. She's much taller than me. Even though we are both Universal Gods, she can defeat me. After all, she is the one that Ascended us to immortality; she might have the power to take it within a door slam.

"Naomi," she goes, her voice normal, "First time, you are here."

"You know?" I utter out.

"I know all the people of Verantuvia," she informs, "I have never seen you here."

It will be a bad time to quiz her to name them all.

"Well," I reply nervously, "I arrived the day after, being arrested by Bracus and his men. Highly humiliating. Sorry."

"It's fine, Naomi, they see who you truly are. Time is no straight line; no forwards or backwards. It goes everywhere it desires. It can break off in many branches. Yours started unfortunate, but now prestigious."

I nod. It's the only thing I can do when I don't know how to respond. There's nothing to worry about, but they won't be as forgiving in the future if I decide to break again. I can't now. Teketa is on the line.

"It's a good sign that you're making progress, Naomi," she compliments, "How are you feeling otherwise? When I first saw you at the conclusion of the festival, more than I saw and felt that you were not okay. I'm sorry that Bracus didn't handle that too well. He's an egg with a concrete shell."

"It's fine," I tell her reassuringly, "I'm feeling much better. Bracus is on better terms for me, I think. If I do find some trouble, I can always go to him, Aelen, or Markus."

"I'll kick their asses, Nao!" I glance to find Markus behind me with red eyes. He is smirking.

"Hey, don't ditch the Queen," I scold jokingly, "Go back to Blath!"

"Yes, your highness," he says with smugness before teleporting back to wherever Blath is. I think they are still at the star pedestal.

I look back towards Ourdera and see her direction has turned. She is no longer looking at me. She is staring at the heavy amounts of pink fog in front of us. By the looks of it, it's Jersomian's colourful gas. The lightness of the pink indicates that they are emitting a gas that increases euphoria. If the pink was darker, it would be lust. I think I need a memory wipe if I see more than twenty people getting down in public and with broadcasts everywhere, it will tarnish Evanity's reputation as being the best of all the empires in Verantuvia. I will not be surprised if it happened on this night. It's better than seeing all blue. It's now cotton candy.

"Are they allowed to do that?" I ask Ourdera.

"Yes, but only in small amounts." A bracket of Jersomians are emitting pink gas out their pores. They are laughing and having a good time. It influences the crowd around them as well. They are giggling like school girls browsing at pictures on their phones.

"Better than anger and hatred," I say neutrally.

"I will leave them with a warning then," she announces before turning back towards me, "Take care, Naomi. It's nice meeting you."

"Nice talking to you too," I say with a smile. See you next year.

Ourdera and I part ways. I turn back to Aelen, who's been waiting patiently this whole time. I take his hand and we continue dancing throughout the night.