FAYE
The air in the ritual chamber was warm and fragrant when Helen guided me inside. The scent of crushed moonleaf, lavender, and something faintly metallic—probably an old herb I didn’t know—hung thick in the air.
The walls were draped in soft white cloth, and candles glowed from every corner, making the whole place feel untouched by anything outside these walls. Like time had paused here.
The women bowed when Helen entered with me, and I felt their eyes on my robe, on my hair, on the slight shiver in my hands. Maybe not judgment… more like a quiet acknowledgment that I was stepping into something sacred.
“Relax your breath,” Helen said softly, guiding me toward the center of the room, where a large stone basin sat filled with warm water. Steam rose gently from it, curling into the c
