Tower of Thorns Tower of Fangs Volume 5 Chapter 17 The Doom Church

 

Chapter 17  The Church

The old church stood forgotten beneath the trees. Hidden among endless forests. Broken. Silent. Abandoned by both gods and men. Moon found it first. The ruins rested upon a lonely hill overlooking miles of untouched wilderness. Ancient stone walls rose from the earth like the bones of some sleeping giant. Time had worn them smooth. Rain had hollowed them. Ivy and flowering vines crawled across every surface, wrapping the church in a living embrace.

The roof had long ago collapsed. Only fragments remained. Massive wooden beams lay scattered beneath wildflowers and moss. Above, the open sky stretched endlessly where worshippers once knelt beneath painted ceilings. Sunlight poured freely through shattered arches. Golden. Warm. Gentle. Nature had reclaimed everything. Birds nested where priests once prayed. Flowers bloomed where candles once burned. Roots split sacred stone apart. Yet somehow the church remained beautiful. Not despite its ruin. Because of it. Moon liked it immediately. The celestial wandered through the remains with quiet wonder. His bare feet brushed soft grass growing between ancient stones. His fingertips traced weathered carvings worn smooth by centuries of wind. He paused before cracked statues whose faces had long since faded away.

Everywhere he looked he found beauty. Everywhere he looked he found life. The old church seemed less like a ruin and more like a place slowly dreaming. Nico followed behind him. Watching. Mostly watching Moon. As usual.

The afternoon sunlight transformed the celestial into something almost impossible to look at directly. Moon's snow-pale skin seemed to glow beneath the golden light. His impossibly long black hair flowed nearly to his calves, dark as midnight silk and shining with hints of silver wherever sunlight touched it.

Layers of white robes drifted softly around his slender frame. Silver ribbons floated around him on invisible currents of air. Tiny fairies made of moonlight danced through his hair. At times Nico wondered if Moon even realized how beautiful he was. Probably not. Moon rarely seemed aware of the effect he had on people.

The celestial climbed atop fallen walls. Balanced effortlessly on narrow stones. Followed butterflies through patches of flowers. Examined bird nests hidden among broken beams. Everything fascinated him. Everything delighted him. Nico followed. Always nearby. Always close. Neither questioned it anymore. Distance felt wrong.

Being apart felt wrong. The realization frightened Nico more than monsters ever could. Eventually they found themselves standing before what remained of the church altar.

The place overlooked the entire valley. Silver rivers wound through distant forests. Rolling hills stretched toward the horizon. The world seemed endless.

Moon stepped into a shaft of sunlight. And for one terrible moment Nico forgot how to breathe. The celestial stood before the ruined altar as though he belonged there. White robes drifted around him. Dark hair shimmered like liquid night.

Golden light framed his silhouette. He looked less like a person and more like some forgotten saint from an ancient story. Beautiful. Sacred. Untouchable.

Nico stared. Again.

Moon noticed immediately.

Their eyes met. Blue and black. The world narrowed. The wind quieted. For several heartbeats neither spoke.

Then Nico accidentally ruined everything.

"You look like a bride."

Silence. Moon blinked. Once. Twice.

The celestial looked genuinely confused. Nico immediately wanted the earth to swallow him whole. His soul attempted to leave his body. Moon continued staring. Then suddenly laughed. The bright sound echoed through the ruined church. The celestial clearly thought the comparison was funny.

Unfortunately Nico wasn't entirely joking. Moon standing beneath sunlight and ancient stone genuinely looked like a bride. A beautiful one. The realization only made things worse. Moon tilted his head curiously. Waiting.

Nico sighed.

His face felt hot.

"You look..."

The words caught in his throat.

Moon waited patiently.

Always patient.

Always kind.

Nico finally forced himself to continue.

"...beautiful."

The word lingered between them. Neither moved. Neither looked away. And for perhaps the first time Moon seemed genuinely surprised. A faint blush appeared across his pale cheeks. Soft pink against ivory skin. The sight nearly killed Nico outright. Because somehow somehow Moon became even more beautiful when embarrassed. Which should have been impossible. Yet there it was.

The silence stretched. Warm. Fragile. Dangerous. Then Moon slowly reached toward Nico's hood. The familiar gesture. The same gesture that once frightened him. Only now it didn't. Because it was Moon. Moon never demanded. Never forced. Never took. The celestial's fingers stopped just before touching the fabric. Waiting. Asking. Permission. The simple respect shattered something inside Nico. Not painfully. Not violently. Gently. Like winter ice melting beneath spring sunlight. 

Slowly he lifted trembling hands. His fingers shook. His heart hammered. The hood fell backward. 

Sunlight spilled across blond hair. Then for the very first time Nico removed the mask. The black fabric slipped away. And Moon saw him.

Truly saw him.

Golden blond hair.

Bright blue eyes.

Strong features softened by youth.

A handsome face that Nico himself had never thought much about. A face hidden from the world for so long that he had forgotten others might find it beautiful.

Not celestial perfection.

Not divine beauty.

Just Nico.

Human.

Real.

Moon stared. For a terrifying moment Nico feared disappointment. Instead, Moon's eyes widened slightly. Not from shock. From admiration. As though he had discovered something precious. Then Moon smiled. And everything changed. It wasn't a polite smile.Not a friendly smile.Not curiosity.It was happiness.

Pure happiness.

As though seeing Nico's face was something wonderful. Something precious. Something he had secretly hoped for.

The expression hit harder than any weapon. Moon stepped closer. Slowly. His dark eyes searched Nico's face. Not judging. Not comparing. Simply looking. Memorizing. Admiring. The celestial lifted one hand.His fingers brushed Nico's cheek. Gentle. Careful. Almost reverent. As though confirming he was real. The world vanished. The ruined church vanished. The forests vanished. The sky vanished. Only Moon remained. Only his touch.

Only those impossible black eyes.

Nico's heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Moon smiled softly. And for one impossible moment they simply looked at one another. Feeling alive in ways neither had ever experienced before.

Wind drifted through broken arches.

Wildflowers swayed.

Sunlight painted everything gold.

The church seemed suspended outside time. Perfect.

Then Nico stepped forward. Before courage disappeared. Before fear returned. Before he lost the moment entirely.

And kissed him.

Softly. Gently.

A first kiss.

Clumsy.

Awkward.

Perfect.

Moon froze.

The celestial's eyes widened. Then slowly very slowly he leaned into it. His eyes closed. The world exploded into sunlight.

At least that was how it felt.

For Nico nothing had ever been more beautiful.

Nothing had ever felt more right.

The kiss lasted only seconds.

Yet somehow felt eternal. When they finally separated neither moved.

Moon's cheeks glowed pink. Nico's heart was still trying to escape his chest.

The celestial touched his own lips. Wonder filled his expression. Then he smiled. A smile Nico had never seen before. Not friendship. Not affection. Something deeper. Something infinitely more dangerous. And both immediately wanted more.

Outside the church hidden among the trees a shadow fox watched silently. Silver eyes glowing. And through those eyes Eemil saw everything.

The kiss.

The smile.

The happiness.

The thing he wanted most.

Belonging to someone else.

Jealousy twisted inside him.

Hot.

Sharp.

Merciless.

Something dark awakened. Something that would never sleep again. But inside the church beneath sunlight and ancient stone Moon and Nico stood together. One celestial beautiful enough to steal breath. One handsome boy who had never realized his own beauty.

Young.

In love.

Beautifully unaware. Believing summer would last forever. Believing nothing could touch them. Neither understood that tragedy had already begun walking toward them. And it already knew their names.