Axel
The wind carried the scent of salt and damp earth as I made my way toward Priestess Gaia’s hut. The water crashed against the rocks and the chill bit at my skin, but my mind was too heavy to care.
Approaching the hut, my steps faltered. There, half-buried in the sand, was the priestess—only her head visible, her long silver-streaked hair tangled with bits of seaweed.
My arm clutched my chest as I frowned. “What the hell are you doing?”
A raspy laugh bubbled from her throat. “Ah, the mighty king is afraid?”
“Not in the slightest,” I muttered, stepping forward. “Do I even want to know if this is some sort of ritual?”
She grinned up at me. “A cleansing ritual,” she said simply. “Submission to the earth, to the ancestors. You should try it.”
“
