Maggie took a deep breath, feeling inexplicably nervous now that she was here. The last time, during the almost-attended elder inauguration ceremony, she wasn’t this anxious; it was only the anxiety of not being able to memorize her speech that bothered her.
“I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m running out of breath.”
Urania glanced at her, “Weak. It’s not like it’s impossible. What’s there to be nervous about?”
She was never one to console people. Maggie felt even more breathless now. Fortunately, Mrs. Jenkins was gentle. She gently patted Maggie’s back, “Don’t worry, you can definitely wake up the Grand Elder. Urania and I have witnessed your extraordinary power. We believe in you; there’s no need to be afraid.”
Maggie took two deep breaths, still feeling a bit heavy in her chest. She felt uneasy, “Is there something bad here that might affect the baby?”
Urania rolled her eyes heavenward. Affect the baby? She muttered to herself; where was her determination to save the Grand Elder by using all her powers without hesitation? Now she was worried about affecting the baby.
She waved to Mrs. Jenkins to step aside and slapped Maggie’s back heavily. Startled by the force, Maggie took a deep breath, and the tightness in her chest immediately disappeared. Urania looked at her with a smirk, “Still nervous? Or having trouble breathing?”
Maggie’s face expressed a mix of wanting to curse but not knowing what to say. In the end, she reluctantly squeezed out, “Not nervous anymore.”
The Elder Council didn’t have a meeting today because Urania had informed them in advance of her visit. She would also bring the former Moon Goddess’s attendant. Waiting to receive them were the elders who had been conducting meetings all along and the apprentice Maggie was familiar with. The apprentice wasn’t as surprised to see her this time. Since witnessing Maggie’s extraordinary power miraculously pulling the Grand Elder back from the brink of death, having Urania and the former Moon Goddess’s attendant appear with her seemed less worthy of astonishment.
“Miss Maggie, thank you very much for coming again,” the elder elegantly greeted Maggie, “And thank you for the significant contribution you’ve made to the Elder Council. We appreciate you bringing the Grand Elder back alive. We’re also glad to see that you’ve safely awakened. According to Aldrich, after that incident, you fell into a long period of unconsciousness, and we were very concerned.”
Maggie didn’t know whether to return the greeting. Urania stepped in for her, “She’s fine; the coma was just because the power inside her body needed to re-integrate with her.”
The elder smiled faintly, “That’s good. I’ve heard the details from Urania. She said you can completely heal the Grand Elder. Urania is a legend among us werewolves, akin to a present-day deity. Since she believes you can do it, we also believe you undoubtedly can.”
Maggie gratefully nodded, “Thank you for your trust.”
The elder gestured to the apprentice by his side, “He will guide you inside. According to the rules, you need to go in alone. Or do you need one of these two to accompany you?”
Maggie shook her head, “It’s okay. Since it’s a rule, I’m willing to comply.”
With that, she followed the apprentice inside.
The apprentice occasionally glanced at Maggie, feeling that there were subtle changes in her compared to the Maggie he had seen that day.
“What’s wrong?” Maggie asked him.
“Nothing, just feel that seeing you this time is different from the last time,” the apprentice rubbed his chin, contemplating what exactly was different, “Last time, although I saw you miraculously restore the Grand Elder’s breath, you still seemed very ordinary, nothing particularly special, except that you appeared determined and courageous.”
“And this time?”
“This time, there seems to be a glow about you, very faint, but upon closer inspection, you can see a halo around you that looks like a mix of gold and pale white. It’s like the halo we see around the moon at night.”
Maggie thought this person was really perceptive; even Aldrich didn’t notice this, yet he could see it at first glance. It seemed that the Elder Council had certain standards and insight when selecting apprentices.
“Did Urania not tell you about my identity?”
The apprentice was momentarily puzzled, “What identity? She only said she was bringing someone who could heal the Grand Elder. I guessed it would be you, and it turned out to be you when I saw you.”
“Did you not wonder who could heal an injured person that even the entire Elder Council couldn’t handle?”
The apprentice hadn’t bothered to think about it; after all, there were many miraculous individuals in the world who could heal diseases, and he didn’t delve into that area, so he didn’t think about it in detail.
“Are you a descendant of witches, or from another special family that can heal diseases?”
Maggie herself hadn’t expected the apprentice’s thought process to be so unique. “Can witches directly heal diseases?”
“Some witch families can. But it’s rare.”
Maggie thought she learned something new. “I am the daughter of the former Moon Goddess,” she said.
The apprentice didn’t speak for a long time. Maggie wondered if he didn’t believe her or if he was stunned. But more likely, he didn’t believe her.
Unexpectedly, the apprentice sighed, “Actually, I had a little guess. After all, you were able to save the Grand Elder before, and today you say you can make him wake up. Thinking about it, there seems to be only one person with such power, and that is the Moon Goddess. Since you’re the daughter of the Moon Goddess, will you become the next Moon Goddess?”
Maggie herself wasn’t sure, “Urania said I have a little bit of the Moon Goddess’s talent, but not much. It also depends on my future circumstances.”
The apprentice smiled at her, “I believe in you. You have the potential to be the Moon Goddess.”
Until now, few people have been so confidently told her that she has the talent to be the Moon Goddess. Maggie was on the verge of tears with joy, “Really? All along, I’ve heard people say that I may not be suitable to be the Moon Goddess. You are the first one to praise me like this.”
“Did Urania say you’re not suitable to be the Moon Goddess?”
“Yes.”
“Urania has the longest lifespan in werewolf society. From her perspective, I think many gods might also be considered unsuitable. You should be more confident. If the werewolves trust you, you are a qualified Moon Goddess.”
With his words, Maggie felt a lot of the anxiety in her heart dissipate.
The door opened, and the Grand Elder lay on the bed, various tubes maintaining vital signs. He didn’t look good or bad, not like someone who had died, but he wouldn’t wake up either. Maggie walked in, looking at this once extremely kind old man.
Turning around, she bowed gratefully to the apprentice, “Thank you for being willing to tell me so much.”
The apprentice leaned forward, returning a gesture of understanding, “Good luck.”
Then he closed the door.
Maggie closed her eyes again, feeling the fluctuations of spiritual power in her body, concentrating them in her palms and placing them in the center of the Grand Elder’s heart. All the power rushed into the Grand Elder’s body in an instant, filling the room with a dazzling light.