Chapter 2: The Garden Where Petals Listen
Warmth kissed my cheeks before my eyes even opened.
The scent of wildflowers, the softness of silk brushing against my skin, and a golden light pouring in like a lullaby—it all felt too perfect to be real.
Was I still dreaming?
I blinked slowly, letting my eyes adjust. Above me, a sheer canopy swayed gently, and soft rays of sunlight danced on marble floors. The bed beneath me? A cloud. Or something better. If heaven had a sleep setting, this was probably it.
I sat up slowly, hair falling over my shoulders in waves—wait, wasn't my hair short yesterday?
What. Is. Happening.
Before I could fully panic, there was a gentle knock at the door.
"Divine One… may I enter?" a voice called out, deep but respectful.
Divine what?
The door creaked open and in walked a knight who looked like he walked out of a fantasy dating sim. Silver hair. Long lashes. And a jawline that could probably cut paper.
He didn't look at me like I was a girl who'd just woken up confused and messy-haired. He looked at me like I was stardust wrapped in silk.
"The High Priest humbly invites you to the Temple Garden," he said, eyes lowered.
I blinked at him. Twice. But nodded anyway, because… what else could I do?
Moments later, I was led through glowing halls lined with floating candles. The air shimmered faintly around me like the whole place was enchanted to sparkle when I walked by. Kind of extra—but not gonna lie, it made me feel… special.
And then we stepped into the garden.
Oh. My. Heart.
It was like someone took a piece of a fairytale and pressed "live." Roses bloomed in midair. Butterflies with translucent wings hovered like whispers. The trees swayed gently, their leaves whispering secrets in a language I couldn't understand but somehow felt.
People were already there—priests, priestesses, little kids. When they saw me, everything went quiet. Like nature itself paused.
"She's awake…"
"She's even more radiant than the prophecy said…"
"She's glowing…"
I'm what now?
I was about to do the classic "please stop staring" panic when the cutest little girl toddled toward me with a crown of daisies in her tiny hands.
"For you, miss Goddess!" she giggled.
And just like that, my heart melted.
I knelt, letting her place it on my head, pretending not to tear up at the way she beamed.
"You're the prettiest girl ever," she whispered shyly.
Okay. That did it.
I smiled. "And you're my first friend here."
She squealed and hugged me. Just like that, the tension in my chest eased.
That's when I saw him—the High Priest. Long white robes, a warm gaze, and that staff that pulsed softly with ancient runes. He didn't bow like the others. He just smiled, like he'd been waiting for me for a long, long time.
"You have questions, Divine One," he said gently. "And in time, you'll have answers. But for now, just… feel."
Feel?
I looked around. The garden pulsed with life. The people around me glowed with hope. The petals floated gently to the earth like they were watching me too.
And suddenly, I did feel something.
A pulse. A presence.
Like the world knew I was here.
Like the sky itself exhaled in relief.
"I… don't know how to be what you all think I am," I whispered.
"You don't have to be anything but yourself," he replied softly. "And even that is more than enough."
The petals circled me like a quiet dance, brushing against my skin. I didn't have wings. I didn't have powers. But for the first time since I'd woken up here…
I didn't feel lost.
I felt… seen.