Chapter 119

Chapter 119
\[A flashback to the moment right before and after Selene’s coronation\]

"Move faster! You’re so slow!"

Hazona winced as one of the guards forcefully nudged her while they were working in the hot fields.

"Sister, are you okay?" asked the young Samael.

He was three years younger than her. Hazona was 12 years old.

"Behave yourselves, the general is coming," Enna whispered, who was the same age as Hazona.

The three of them straightened up, trying to appear inconspicuous as the general passed by them. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they were not noticed.

Hazona discreetly approached Enna. Both of them were wearing dirty clothes, their bodies full of bruises, scratches, and mud on their hands.

"Where are Count and Phoenix?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Enna looked around before picking up the sweet potato she had been digging earlier and putting it in the basket.

"They’re in town and were assigned to sell," she replied subtly.

Hazona sighed. She was worried because if Count and Phoenix didn’t sell all their goods, they would surely face a terrible punishment. Sometimes, they would rather endure being battered under the scorching sun than deal with the repercussions they might face.

"When will we ever be able to leave this place?" Hazona whispered softly to herself, but Enna heard it.

"It’s unlikely unless we find a way," she whispered back.

Hazona noticed the change in Enna’s expression and became concerned.

"Enna…"

"I heard whispers that there is a rebel army that wants to fight against the invaders. If only we knew who they were, we could join them," the girl muttered.

Hazona stared at her, then glanced around anxiously to see if anyone had overheard their conversation. She exhaled in relief when she realized that the people were far away from them.

"Enna, violence is not the answer," she advised her friend whom she considered as her sister.

Enna avoided her gaze. "Hazona, morality and fairness are not the answers either. Can’t you see? There is no fairness in this world. We have been abandoned by the Moon Goddess, treated like slaves — like beasts whose lives can be taken away at any moment."

Hazona’s heart constricted as she witnessed the anguish in Enna’s eyes. She looked down and bit her lower lip, contemplating her response.

"They may be mortals, but why does the Moon Goddess favor them? It has been decades, and yet she has not made any effort to free us from the invaders. Isn’t that enough reason to resent her?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, for Enna had a point. Why indeed had the Moon Goddess abandoned them?

"Ouch!" Samael cried out, catching the attention of the two.

"Samael!"

The two hurriedly approached the young boy who had been pushed by one of the guards.

"The three of you! Work properly if you don’t want to get hurt, understand?" the guard threatened.

The three could only nod in agreement. The guard sneered before bumping into them, causing all three to tumble into the muddy ground.



"Are you feeling cold, Samael?" Hazona asked her youngest sibling, who just shrugged in response.

Inside the small, chilly hut near the edge where they worked as farmers, two boys around the age of twelve entered. Their arms were bruised and their clothes were tattered.

Enna quickly stood up and approached the two boys, while Hazona gently guided Samael to lie down and smiled at the child.

"Go to sleep," she said.

"But what about brother?" the young boy innocently asked, but Hazona interrupted whatever he was about to say.

"Don’t worry. Just go to sleep so I can tend to our brothers, alright?"

Samael looked at Hazona before nodding. "As you wish," he replied, earning a smile from the girl.

A few minutes later, Hazona saw that their brother had fallen asleep, so they approached the other two boys who were now sitting and sipping on hot soup. Though their clothes had been changed, it was still evident that they were worn-out.

Hazona sat down next to Phoenix. "Did you not manage to sell all the goods?" That was the only reason she could think of why the two had bruises all over their bodies.

Count nodded lifelessly. "Those heartless people! It would have been better if selling was easier," he muttered bitterly.

Hazona sighed and they all stared at the small lamp, which was their only source of light in the darkness that surrounded them.

"I will find an opportunity, and I will get back at them," she said determinedly.

Seeking revenge was not a good thing, but what if there was a reason behind their anger?

At such a young age, they had already endured the hardships of life. They never knew their parents and were forced to work from a young age, they knew the harsh realities all too well.

"Just one opportunity, and I will make sure they die by my hands," Count vowed with resentment.

And it didn’t take long for that opportunity to present itself. A few months later, they encountered Cyrilla and her companions during a raid on one of the mortal’s forts to steal food.

The five of them tensed as they were surrounded by wolves holding knives. Samael cried in fear while Hazona held onto them tightly. Until a woman approached them. Cyrilla observed the five children and gave them a slight smile.

"Do you want to join us, under two conditions?" she offered.

"Are you the army rumored to be hunting mortals?" Phoenix asked.

The woman smiled and nodded. "Indeed. If you want to survive, you must be prepared to kill, whether they are innocent or not."

Hazona furrowed her brow and held Samael even tighter.

"Why even the innocent ones?" she asked the woman, capturing her attention.

"Because the Moon Goddess chose them, didn’t she? She chose to persecute our kind," Cyrilla responded, though there was a part of Hazona’s mind that sensed there was more to the story.

However, she didn’t dwell on it for long because she saw the interest in her friends’ eyes, and she didn’t want to be separated from them.

"In that case, we will follow everything in exchange for the freedom we yearn for," Enna agreed, earning a smile from Cyrilla.

"Very well."



Two years had passed since Hazona met Cyrilla. It hadn’t been easy for them, especially for Hazona, who still couldn’t bring herself to take the life of an innocent being, whether mortal or not.

"Have mercy!"

She turned her gaze away from the mother and child kneeling in front of Enna and Count. They were tasked to eliminate the army from the western part, which was slightly distant from civilization, as five of their companions were killed by this army.

"Have mercy! Not my child!" the woman pleaded desperately.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, Hazona clenched her fist and walked away, distancing themselves from the heart-wrenching scene.

"My child is innocent, have mercy!" the woman screamed. "Have mercy–"

She didn’t get to finish what she was about to say as the sound of a sharp weapon striking the woman’s head shattered the air, causing the child to burst into tears. Hazona couldn’t bring herself to witness the cruelty that unfolded before her.

"Mother!" the child cried.

Phoenix, Enna, and Count looked at Samael, who was the one who took the woman’s life.

"So noisy," Samael said nonchalantly, then looked at the young girl hugging her mother. "Should I take care of her too?"

Phoenix shook their head. "No, let her be. She’ll die of hunger anyway," he replied, turning away to leave the place.

Samael nodded, albeit reluctantly, and followed the others.

"Does Hazona still not bear to accept this?" Count whispered.

Enna just sighed. "You know her. Her heart is still soft."

The man let out a heavy sigh. "Sometimes, I fear that we’re all becoming too cruel."

The woman looked at him. "Are we not already?" 



That evening, the five of them gathered at the edge of the cliff, enjoying the fresh breeze that swept through the air.

"Turn up the fire, I’m getting cold," Phoenix complained to Samael, who was tending to the fire.

"Shut up or I might roast you instead," Samael smirked.

"Samael," Hazona threatened the youngest among them.

The man just shrugged and continued with what he was doing. When Phoenix saw that Samael listened to Hazona, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

"Why do you always listen to Hazona but not to the rest of us?" he pointed out.

"Because she’s my favorite," Samael retorted.

Phoenix sighed, deciding to let the conversation go, and turned his attention to the night sky. The full moon shone brightly, captivating his gaze.

Unlike the previous nights, the red color on the moon had reached its center.

"The coronation of the Moon Goddess is drawing near," Enna mentioned, also gazing at the dark sky.

Hazona nodded in agreement, her eyes fixed on the celestial beauty above. The transformation of the moon into red would signify the official signal that the Moon Goddess Selene has arrived.

"What did Cyrilla say?" 

Hazona paused at Enna’s question. She only remembered their conversation now.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "Our enemies are increasing in number. With our small group, I don’t want to think about what would happen if we make a mistake," she began cautiously.

"Is that so? Do you want to run away then?" Enna teased.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "At this hour? Do you want our wolves to complain? Besides, it’s too dangerous to run through the forest now."

Running away wouldn’t be a wise choice.

Enna could only shrug. "That’s what I said."

Hazona’s expression turned serious as she whispered, "I hope, Enna. I hope we can find the true happiness we desire."

"I hope so too," Enna replied softly.

Even though she knew it was unlikely to happen in their lives.