Auriel’s day had started like any other—an absolute disaster.
The Goddess of Balance humd a cheerful tune as she tended to the celestial garden. Her divine duties, while important in theory, often resulted in chaos in practice. Today was no exception. She had intended to create a gentle breeze to scatter the golden leaves across the path, but instead, she accidentally summoned a miniature tornado that uprooted half the garden.
"Oh no, not again!" Auriel exclaid, chasing after the whirling storm of petals and leaves. She waved her hands in a frantic attempt to calm the winds, which only seed to grow stronger. By the ti she finally dispelled the spell, the once-pristine garden looked like a battlefield.
As she stood there, catching her breath, a voice called out behind her. "Auriel!"
Startled, she turned to see Kana, the Chief God’s daughter, approaching. Kana was radiant as always, her golden hair shimring like sunlight and her regal aura commanding attention. Auriel imdiately felt a pang of nervousness; Kana rarely spoke to her unless sothing was wrong.
"Kana!" Auriel greeted, trying to sound casual. "Uh, lovely day, isn’t it?"
Kana marched up to her, her expression a mix of determination and embarrassnt. "Auriel, I need to speak with you."
"Of course! Is this about the garden? I can fix it, I swear!" Auriel waved her hands, accidentally summoning a floating orb of light that hovered awkwardly between them.
Kana swatted the orb aside. "No, this isn’t about the garden. It’s... about you."
"?" Auriel blinked.
Kana took a deep breath, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. "Auriel, you’ve stolen my heart."
The words hung in the air like a bolt of lightning. Auriel’s jaw dropped. "W-what?!"
"You heard !" Kana declared, her voice growing louder. "Ever since the day I saw you stumble through the banquet hall and accidentally knock over a table of ambrosia, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Your clumsiness... your earnestness... it’s captivating! So now I’m here to demand that you take responsibility!"
Auriel stared, utterly dumbfounded. "Responsibility? For what?"
"For seducing !" Kana’s voice was resolute, but her face was crimson. "You must marry , Auriel, and make things right!"
Auriel’s brain short-circuited. Seduced? Marry? What in all the celestial realms was Kana talking about? She opened her mouth to protest, to explain that she had no idea how Kana had gotten this idea, but before she could speak, the ground trembled.
A squad of celestial guards materialized around them, their golden armor gleaming. The leader stepped forward, bowing deeply to Kana before addressing Auriel. "Auriel, by order of the Chief God, you are to co with us imdiately."
"W-what? Why?!" Auriel stamred.
The guard’s expression was stony. "The Chief God will explain. Co quietly."
Kana crossed her arms, her expression smug. "Good. Father will ensure you face the consequences of your actions."
"Wait, Kana, I didn’t—" Auriel tried to protest, but the guards grabbed her arms and whisked her away.
______
Auriel stood before the Chief God’s throne, her knees wobbling. The grand hall of judgnt was imposing, with towering columns of celestial light and an air of unyielding authority. The Chief God sat on a high throne, her piercing gaze fixed on her.
"People tell you’ve been toying with my daughter’s heart, Auriel," the Chief God began, her voice booming. "Is this true?"
"N-no! Of course not!" Auriel exclaid, shaking her head furiously. "I didn’t do anything! I don’t even know how this happened!"
The Chief God frowned, her divine aura growing heavier. "Are you calling my daughter a liar?"
"I’m not saying that!" Auriel said quickly. "But I swear, I didn’t seduce her. I would never! She just... misunderstood sothing, maybe?"
Kana, standing off to the side, huffed indignantly. "Misunderstood? You’ve been dazzling with your clumsy charm for centuries! Don’t act innocent now! And mother, don’t interfere. This is between and her."
Auriel turned to her, wide-eyed. "But I was just... being !"
"And that’s the problem! Take seriously." Kana retorted.
"Enough!" The Chief God’s voice echoed through the hall, silencing the argunt. She turned his steely gaze back to Auriel. "Regardless of your intent, the fact remains that my daughter has been compromised. Such behavior cannot go unpunished."
Auriel felt her heart sink. "Compromised? I didn’t—"
The Chief God raised a hand, cutting her off. "Auriel, you have proven ti and again that you are a liability among the gods. Your powers are vast, yet your incompetence renders them useless. This latest incident only confirms my decision."
"Decision?" Auriel’s voice was barely a whisper.
"You will be banished to the human realm," the Chief God declared. "There, you will serve a purpose by selecting Earth’s next ruler. Perhaps this task will teach you responsibility."
Auriel’s stomach dropped. "B-banished? But I—"
"Banished? That is not what I asked. Mother, you cannot just-," Kana continued.
"Silence!" the Chief God bood. "Your banishnt will take effect tomorrow. Use this ti to prepare yourself. Dismissed."
Auriel wanted to argue, to plead her case, but the stern finality in the Chief God’s tone left no room for debate. Shoulders slumped, she allowed the guards to escort her out of the hall.
Back in her modest celestial dwelling, Auriel collapsed onto her bed, burying her face in her hands. "This isn’t fair," she mumbled. "I didn’t do anything wrong. How could Kana think I... seduced her? And now I’m being banished because of it?"
Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of everything. Kana’s confession replayed in her head, leaving her more confused and flustered each ti. She had always thought of Kana as distant and untouchable—a goddess far out of her league. To hear Kana claim she had been captivated by her clumsiness was baffling.
Auriel sighed, rolling onto her back. "Well, at least the human realm might be calr than this," she muttered. But deep down, she doubted it.
As the hours ticked by, Auriel found herself torn between frustration and nervous anticipation. She had no idea what awaited her on Earth, but one thing was certain: her life was about to change forever.
And knowing her luck, it was bound to be ssy.
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