Chapter 3 - The Boy Who Fell for a Goddess (Literally)
The garden was slowly fading into golden twilight when it happened.
I had just finished feeding a white bunny some glowing berries (apparently they're safe here?) when a loud CRASH and a panicked shout shattered the calm like a dropped teacup.
"Waaah—watch out!!!"
Before I could even turn around properly, something—or someone—came tumbling straight through the hedge like a human bowling ball.
Leaves flew everywhere. Flowers panicked. And I just stood there, blinking in slow-motion as a boy skidded on the grass… arms flailing… eyes wide… and then—
THUD.
Right into me.
Both of us collapsed like a pile of laundry.
"Ow…" I groaned, trying to catch my breath and dignity.
He scrambled up immediately, brushing pollen off my dress with an embarrassed panic. "I—I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean to crash into the Divine One!"
His hands froze mid-dust. His face turned ten shades of red.
"You're really… real," he mumbled, staring at me like I was a shooting star he accidentally hugged.
I blinked up at him. He was around my age, maybe a little older. Tousled black hair, golden eyes that sparkled with way too much energy, and cheeks still flushed from impact. A boyish charm that screamed troublemaker but cute.
"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting up. My daisy crown had landed sideways, which he tried to fix and somehow made worse. I looked like a confused goddess who lost a bet.
He winced. "I'm so sorry. I was just training on the hill and then this weird blue squirrel came out of nowhere and I chased it and—boom. Right through the hedge."
"…A blue squirrel?"
"Yeah. It stole my cookie."
I tried to stay serious, but a laugh slipped out. "That's the most dramatic cookie theft I've ever heard."
He grinned sheepishly. "Welcome to the Temple. We're very serious about snacks here."
A priestess rushed over, pale. "Sir Zehn! You can't just tackle the Divine One!"
Zehn, huh?
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Technically, I didn't tackle her… I just… crashed lovingly."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I tackled her with emotion."
The priestess looked ready to faint. "Divine One, should I punish him?"
Zehn's face fell. "Wait, no! Please don't curse me or turn me into a flowerpot or—whatever divine punishment you do!"
I blinked. "You think I can turn people into flowerpots?"
He paused. "Can you not?"
"…No!"
There was a weird silence.
Then he burst out laughing. "I KNEW it! I told them you're probably just as confused as we are."
That stung a little… but also made me smile. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."
"No, no! I mean… it's kind of cool. You're this mysterious girl from another world, right? But you laugh like a normal person. You trip a little. You talk like you're not made of starlight."
I blinked. "Wait… do I trip?"
He grinned. "You did earlier. Very gracefully though."
I groaned into my hands. "So much for divine elegance."
He laughed again, softer this time. "It makes you… more real, you know?"
And for some reason, that meant more to me than all the "Divine One" chants in the world.
He stood and offered his hand. "I'm Zehn. Squire to the Temple Guard, unofficial squirrel chaser, and possibly your first local idiot friend."
I took his hand, warmth blooming where our fingers touched. "I'm… still figuring out who I am. But for now, I'm glad you crashed into me."
He chuckled. "Same. Also, you might wanna fix your crown. You look like a sideways fairy princess."
I snorted. "Great. Just the vibe I was going for."
As he helped me stand, the petals in the garden stirred again, as if laughing along. The sun dipped lower, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges, and for just a moment…
It didn't matter that I didn't know what "Divine One" meant.
It didn't matter that I didn't have powers, or wings, or ancient knowledge.
Because maybe—just maybe—being me was enough.
And maybe, in a world of temples and talking squirrels, the most magical thing…
Was friendship.
Or the possibility of something a little more.