For the remainder of the hike, the boys stayed close to you as if they feared someone else would come and try to steal you away again. However, they didn't mention it again, nor asked any more questions, and their overall behaviour went back to normal.
By the time you arrived back at the hotel, it was already starting to get dark outside. Everyone went back to their own rooms quickly to take a shower and change before dinner time.
Instead of having dinner at the usual dining hall, Felix had made a reservation to have dinner in the restaurant part of the hotel. This area contained a beautiful balcony which would give an incredible view of the fields, buildings, and beach below.
As usual, you were the first one to arrive. Although now almost dark outside, it was still warm, and you walked up to the balcony to admire the beautiful view. Barely having set foot outside, you were suddenly plagued by that prickly feeling again, right below your hairline. You walked slightly slower, spotting two people leaning on the railing of the balcony, their backs turned to you. One of them was a man wearing a short-sleeved shirt, exposing an arm full of tattoos. You remembered him from earlier, having seen him with Jimin's group, but not remembering his name.
You looked at the person beside you and stopped dead in your tracks. There was a woman standing beside him. She was about the same height as you were, with long dark red hair that fell to her hips. It wasn't her appearance that made you stop.
As if she knew, the woman turned her head to look over her shoulder and spotted you. She smiled broadly at you, and you could only stare. She said something to the man she was with, he simply nodded, and she turned away from him, walking over to you.
'Come,' she said, friendly and softly to you, nodding her head to the other side of the balcony. Still not saying anything, you walked with her to the far-right corner of the balcony. Casually the woman leaned back on the railing, her kind, dark chocolate eyes on you as she smiled.
You blinked a few times as she seemed to be waiting for something. Then you realised she was waiting for you.
'You're...' you began, your voice almost a croak. You cleaned your throat and tried again. 'You're... You're like me,' you whispered.
The woman nodded with a smile.
'How- I mean- What- I mean- why- I- I' you stammered, as millions of questions flooded your head simultaneously. The woman chuckled.
'How many years?' the woman asked, friendly. Although it was a vague question, you instantly understood what she meant.
'Three and a half, four almost,' you spoke breathlessly. You simply felt in awe of her presence. The woman raised her eyebrows, impressed.
'Impressive. You're very advanced for your age,' she said, smiling.
'I- I am?' you said, feeling yourself blush. The woman nodded calmly, but your insides felt like a storm raging within.
'But... what am I?' you managed to get out, feeling desperate for answers.
'First things first, let us not forget our Human manners,' the woman laughed and stuck her hand out. 'I'm Lady; nice to meet you,' she spoke.
'I'm y/n,' you said hastily, bowing slightly as you took her hand with both of yours.
'Well, y/n,' the woman began, letting go of your hand, 'I can see you have many questions, so ask away,'
'What am I?' you asked instantly, the question burning inside you. Lady smiled again and thought for a moment.
'Have you found your group yet?' she asked in return. You nodded eagerly. 'And what did you find?' You frowned for a moment, thinking about her question.
'That... That I'm not like them, but I kinda am?' you said, frowning. Lady nodded.
'And what do you remember?' she asked. Flashes of your dreams appeared in front of your eyes.
'I... It's kinda hard to explain...' you said hesitantly.
'Try it,' Lady encouraged you.
'I remember... Watching them... Their lights... I had to wait for some reason,' you said, thinking hard. Lady nodded as you talked. 'I... I remember.. really wanting to be with them... they... they needed help?' you decided, looking at her questioningly, hoping any of it would make sense to her.
'Very good, really impressive,' she said, 'you really are advanced for your age.' She paused for a moment. 'Well, you already kind of have the answer,' she said. You raised your eyebrows.
'How long have you been with them?' she asked.
'They found me the moment I arrived,' you answered instantly. Lady whistles between her teeth.
'Lucky you, it took me ages to find mine. Anyway, that means you have about three-four years with them, right?' she said. You nodded quickly. 'And what has happened since then?'
You shrugged, not being able to think of anything.
'Come on; you must've seen something happen. Maybe something in their relationship with Humans, or each other, or themselves?' Lady suggested. The memory of Minho making his cap float mid-air suddenly popped into your mind.
'Well, some of them got new powers,' you said, unsure if it was the answer he was looking for. Lady raised her eyebrows at you, stunned.
'Oh my, already?' she said, impressed.
'Is that bad?' you asked, feeling nervous now.
'No, no, not at all,' Lady said swiftly, laughing. 'It's good, great even.' Her words made your chest swell slightly with a sense of pride.
'But you still have no idea what you are?' she asked curiously. You shook your head. 'Well then, it's hard to say specifically what we are. I mean, we aren't gods like they are, but we are god-like, so most just call us Goddesses. Others call us guardians or leaders, and I've even heard someone use the word "managers" for our kind, but I feel that doesn't really grasp the depth of our role.' Lady said decisively. 'But for the sake of definition, I will simply call us Goddesses, as it's easiest,'
You nodded quickly, hanging on to her words for dear life.
'So, Goddesses are, as far as I know, always female, hence the name, as are Gods, once again, as far as I know, always male. Goddesses come in all kinds of forms. I have met some that came in the form of mothers, sisters, lovers, friends, and even daughters. Not to say that they were actually blood-related, that is, but it describes the role they played in the life of their Gods,' Lady explained.
'Which one are you?' you asked curiously, already knowing very well in which category you would fall. Lady smiled mysteriously.
'The role a Goddess plays depends on who she is as a person, and it is essential to the bond she has with her Gods,' Lady continued. She hadn't answered your question, and you realised that asking might have been a little too personal, so you quickly changed your attitude.
'So, our role depends on the group we're with?' you asked quickly.
'No,' Lady said, shaking her head. 'Your role is something you have in you. It is something you yourself have decided long before you pick your group.'
'We pick our group?' you repeated her words.
'We do,' Lady said with a smile. 'It's a common misconception that they pick us or that we are assigned to them, but that's not at all the case. When we're still in our original state of being, we will form our own personality. Then we will pick our group. This is unlike the Gods, who don't form personality until they go to earth,' she explained.
'Do they pick their own groups?' you asked curiously.
'To be honest, I'm not sure. They might? But I also sometimes feel like it's more like fate? I find it hard to say,' Lady admitted thoughtfully.
'But we for sure pick our own personality and based on that, we pick a group?' you repeated.
'Exactly,' Lady nodded. 'Sometimes the group is already complete, but sometimes you simply pick one, and the rest joins after. That is not to say that they are less than the one you picked initially, not at all. They simply joined later, but you love them just as much,' Lady said. You couldn't help but think of the brightest light, your favourite, even though you loved the others just as much.
'Why do we pick a group?' you asked. Lady chuckled.
'Cause they're men, and they're hopeless without us,' she said with a chuckle. You couldn't help but laugh too. 'No, but seriously, we pick a group because we want to be with them as much as they need us.'
'What do they need us for then?' you asked.
'Hmm, lots of things. Depending on the group and the Goddess, I guess,' Lady said, frowning for a moment. 'The thing is, as soon as Gods step on earth and get their shell, there's always something that goes wrong. Sometimes they lose track of themselves or their godly duties. Sometimes they have a hard time building their own personality or a hard time getting along with each other. There are often all kinds of things they need help with, some bigger or smaller than others,' Lady explained.
'And how are we supposed to help them?' you asked anxiously. Lady smiled at you.
'Well, that's the wonderful thing about being a Goddess; we often don't even have to really try. Our mere presence is sometimes already enough to help them out. And if it's not, our instinct always helps us out, and we always know what to do our way in those kinds of situations. Unlike Gods, who can be fumbling about their powers for their entire lives,' Lady chuckled.
'And... the roles... I mean...' you weren't quite sure how to ask her the question you wanted to ask, but luckily, she seemed to understand.
'The roles we decide on before we pick will fit our group. Otherwise, we wouldn't have picked that group. They will fill in that need of your role, whether that might be of a friend, kin, or lover... It's nothing to be ashamed of, nor should you deny it, as it is who you are. Besides, whatever your role is, they are always happy to help you fulfil it,' Lady assured you.
'Is there always one Goddess in a group?' you asked, trying to switch to another subject.
'As far as I know, yes, but don't hold it against me if you ever find a group with more than one,' Lady answered.
'And how many members are there in a group? Is it always eight?' you asked. Lady shook her head.
'No, mine has seven. And I've met groups who have more. I think I once met one that had thirteen. I almost felt bad for that Goddess... But I've also met groups of three Gods, so I guess it can vary. Not sure if there are groups of two or singles, though,' she said thoughtfully.
'And do they all have a Goddess?' You asked.
'Once again, as far as I've met them, yes, they do, but don't hold it against me if you one day find this to be untrue,' Lady said.
'And what about them unlocking new powers?' you asked eagerly, remembering her mentioning it.
'Right, yeah, they often do. Normally it can take decades, especially if they have lived without a Goddess for a long time,' Lady said.
'What triggers it?' you asked eagerly. Lady smiled mysteriously.
'Well, that is for you to find out, isn't it? It's not always the same for every group or every God. But remember, it's always your guidance that has led them to their new insight,' Lady expressed. For some reason, it made you blush slightly.
'And do we Goddesses get special powers like they do?' you asked hopefully. Lady laughed.
'Don't you think leading a group of men is already enough work? I think that's pretty powerful in and of itself, don't you?' Lady chuckled. 'No, we don't need flashy tricks like they do. We simply use our brains and intuition to guide them, which is all we need.' Lady stated. You did feel slightly disappointed by her answer, and maybe your sentiment was visible on your face because she added:
'We do have some advantages over Gods, however. For instance, did any of your gods recognise mine?'
You slowly shook your head. 'But I did,' you said thoughtfully.
'Exactly,' Lady said, smirking. She looked over her shoulder for a moment at the tattooed God, who was still lounging against the railing on the other side of the balcony.
'When you discovered their powers, how did it go?' Lady asked, looking back at you. You frowned as you thought back at it.
'I... I had gotten some hints...' you began slowly.
'But...?' Lady encouraged.
'But...I guess I kinda... just knew?' you said.
'Precisely,' Lady nodded.
'Well, except for one,' you said, remembering how at first, you hadn't been able to identify Chan.
'Well, you're young, and we all got our blind spot,' Lady shrugged nonchalantly. She looked over her shoulder for a moment again before looking back at you once more. 'Look at him,' she said.
You did as she asked.
'Now, tell me what he is,' Lady spoke.
'A God definitely,' you said, not having to think about it.
'Yes and?' he encouraged. You took a moment to take the man in.
'Chaos,' you said suddenly, the word out of your mouth before really realising it.
'Well done,' Lady said, impressed. 'See, we can sense Gods, although they cannot sense each other if they're not in their own group. We can also sense their abilities, which comes in handy now and then,'
You weren't quite sure when it would come in handy, but you didn't say anything. You were just about to ask a follow up-question when Lady suddenly looked over your shoulder.
'Yours, I suppose?' she asked, looking somewhere behind you. You turned around and saw Chan walking over to you.
'Yes,' you said with a smile.
'Nice catch,' she said giggly.
'Yours aren't so bad on the eyes either,' you said with a chuckle, looking back at Lady. She smirked with a wink.
'Are you gonna have dinner here too?' Lady asked, suddenly changing the subject.
'Oh, erm, yes, that was the plan,' you spoke.
'What would you think about joining tables together? So, we can hang out for a bit; maybe your boys can chat with mine,' she suggested.
'Ohh, erm...' you began apprehensively. Although you loved the idea of hanging out with her more and asking her many more questions, you weren't sure if bringing the Gods together would be such a great idea, especially after their last meeting. 'Well, I don't know... My boys are... They can be very territorial,' you decided. Lady laughed.
'It's normal for Gods to be very protective over their Goddess, especially towards humans,' Lady said. 'But as far as I've seen, as soon as they figure out that the other group has their own Goddess, it's not as big of a deal anymore.'
You weren't entirely convinced yet, however, and looked over your shoulder. By now, Changbin, Minho and Felix had arrived, as well as three members of the other group, which you remembered to be Seokjin, Namjoon, and Hoseok. The other group had gone over to the tattooed God, and you boys stood a little away from you and Lady, observing the two of you curiously while at the same time throwing the other group suspicious looks.
'I don't know,' you said tentatively.
'Darling, you must remember that they are your Gods. If you're nervous about it, they are as well. If you are relaxed and calm, so will they. They are influenced by your behaviour and feelings. I hate to make the comparison as it feels quite degrading, but they're a bit like puppies, although they don't even realise it themselves. Whatever you feel, they can feel. They are tuned into your being and will behave as such,' Lady explained.
You had to do your best not to chuckle at her comparison, especially thinking of Seungmin when she mentioned the word "puppy".
'Alright then,' you said, straightening your back and broadening your shoulders. Lady laughed.
'That's the spirit,' she said encouragingly. 'Now, I suggest you take the lead in this. I will go back to my group and wait for your instructions,' she said with a wink. You nodded, and Lady turned around and walked back to her group.
You turned and walked over to the four boys that were already waiting for you.
'You're quite popular these days,' Minho said, slightly prickly. You ignored his comment and simply smiled at them.
'Where's the rest?' You asked simply.
'Seungmin said he was coming down, and I expect Innie and Han any second. Dunno about Hyunjin,' Chan said, shrugging. 'Oh look,' he spoke, looking at the door.
Seungmin and Han entered the room with Jimin, and the sleepy kitten-looking one that you remembered was Yoongi, followed by another guy whose name you didn't quite remember.
'Who are we missing?' Han said, ignoring the other group.
'Innie and Hyunjin,' you answered.
'I think I saw Jeongin coming out of his room, but we just missed him. Oh, here he comes now,' Han spoke as Jeongin walked over. 'I guess that just leaves Hyunjin.'
You took a quick glance over at the other group, where Lady was calmly conversing with her members. They didn't seem stressed or awkward, and there were no sideways glances that indicated she was speaking about you or your group.
You wanted to wait for Hyunjin, but knowing him, it wouldn't be the first time that he'd skip dinner because he had fallen asleep while scrolling on his phone on his bed. For a moment, you considered calling him but then decided not to. It was never a great idea to wake Hyunjin up from a nap.
'So erm,' you began and then suddenly realised you had no idea where to start or how to explain. All the boys looked at you, and you were suddenly reminded again of the puppy comparison Lady had made. You cleared your throat so as not to laugh. 'So, I met someone,' you started over. Instantly you regretted your choice of words as the boys seemed to be on instant high alert. 'I mean, I just met this woman, and she's...' you thought for a moment. 'Well, I guess she's like me. As in, she's the same,' you tried to explain.
Seungmin arched a brow, and you could almost see the question marks in Jeongin's eyes.
'Well, I'm a Goddess,' you decided. 'And so is she,'
'You're a Goddess?' Han said, surprised.
'Wow, y/n, that's great news,' Felix said, grinning from ear to ear, his pointed teeth clearly visible.
'How do you know? I mean, are you sure?' Seungmin asked practically.
'Yes, I'm sure,' you said definitively. 'I recognised her as a Goddess, and so she recognised me as one,' you elaborated. Minho's mouth was slightly open as he looked from you to Lady. 'actually, you see those guys she's with? The guys we met during our hike, yeah? They're Gods too,' you said.
'No, we would know,' Changbin said, shaking his head.
'No, you wouldn't,' you said, shaking yours. 'I believe she said that you can only recognise Gods if they're from your own group; otherwise, Gods can't. We Goddesses, however, can,' you said, feeling slightly proud and cool at the thought of being able to do something they couldn't.
'No, surely-' Chan began, looking over his shoulder with serious doubts on his face.
'You think just because you can't, I can't either?' you said, feeling slightly sassy.
'No, that's not; I mean, I just-' Chan shrugged, looking slightly confused.
'They're gods,' you repeated. 'And they have their own Goddess. Like you have me,' you said, putting emphasis on the words and pausing, hoping it would give them time to let it sink in and understand what you meant. They all looked slightly frowning from you to the group and back again.
'They invited us to join them for dinner,' you continued when they still didn't say anything. 'And I would love to get to know them better. I think there is much we can learn from them, maybe share experiences,' you proposed.
Suddenly all the boys looked slightly nervous. Their attention went to Chan, who also seemed to have no clue whether the meeting would be a good idea or not. You smiled at Chan and tried your best not to let the excitement of the idea overtake you in case he would misinterpret your anxiety and decline the invitation.
Looking at you, you could see Chan hesitate for a moment before he spoke.
'Sure,' he said, his facial expression changing into a more relaxed one and his previously somewhat tense shoulders now lowering a little. Instantly the rest of the group seemed more at ease as well, and they all nodded and murmured their consent.
'Great!' you said enthusiastically. 'I will go tell them,' you said as you almost skipped away towards the other group.