If Finn flew through the air using Transcendent abilities, if he survived fatal wounds through divine essence, if he accomplished feats that no mortal could theoretically replicate under any circumstances... then he wouldn't be building the kind of foundation that could support faith.

He'd be building fear, perhaps. Awe, certainly. But not faith, not that deep belief that formed the bedrock of divinity.

Luna had been careful to emphasize in the book that this was theory based on divine retrospection. That in fact, it might not turn out to be true. That using his Transcendent and divine abilities from the onset might not have the alienating effects on people's faith that she predicted.

But Finn disagreed with that caveat.

The theory made perfect sense. A path that every God had naturally followed to achieve legendary status as mortals before divinity touched them versus an untested shortcut that risked failing at the most crucial step?

There was really only one logical choice.

Finn had decided to follow the first path. Seal away his Transcendent powers and divine essence. Immerse himself wholly into mortal limitations and build his lore from there.

Now he just needed to decide the angle from which to build that lore. What kind of legend he wanted to become.

One that pursued perfect righteousness? Or one that embraced chaos and ruin?

Finn knew he'd fall somewhere in the middle. At his core, he was the Errant... the Errant Heretic. His lore needed to align with that fundamental identity.

He'd spent hours during the journey contemplating what "Errant Heretic" truly meant based on everything he'd experienced.

Error was about flaws, mistakes, contradictions, things that shouldn't exist but did anyway. Heresy was about rejecting established truth, challenging sacred authority, standing against what others considered immutable.

And in his own view, together, they pointed toward a figure who existed outside normal categories. Who found strength in what others dismissed as broken. Who questioned divine authority while seeking divinity. Who helped those the system abandoned because the system itself was flawed.

How he got to do that was only a means. He didn't really care about being righteous or being a villain. He would simply act as he felt was right, staying true to his foundation as the Errant Heretic that defied established logics while still existing under the rules of said logics…

Or at least he'd try to.

According to the book, Finn's attempt would serve as something of a case study. A point of curiosity for Luna herself, and especially the Moon Mother. Could a person truly engineer divinity from the ground up with full conscious awareness? Or was there something essential about the unconscious nature of lore-building that couldn't be replicated through deliberate planning?

It was a fundamental paradox in and of itself.

Unless someone was like the Shadow God's Incarnate, possessing divine authorities to claim, practically standing on the other side of that great filter already, merely needing to align his identity with the power he was inheriting, then the act of true immersion meant surrendering to unpredictability.

Finn might choose to build his lore based on a particular personality or concept. But circumstances could shift. Events might unfold in unexpected ways. The people might perceive him differently than he intended.

The book had been frank about this challenge. Many legends failed to be Gods simply because they hadn't been remembered the way they'd intended.

Some who saw themselves as righteous had been recalled as zealots. Others who thought themselves pragmatic were remembered as cruel. The gap between self-perception and public perception could be vast.

Finn would have to navigate that gap carefully. Build his actions around principles that would resonate with common people while remaining flexible enough to adapt when reality didn't match his plans.

Hopefully, at the end, if he managed to cross that great filter, his divinity would be based on something very close to his Error concept rather than something completely different…

Finn sighed and looked out the carriage window at the rolling plains passing by.

He would have to be extremely careful with how he proceeded… But he was also aware he didn't have the luxury of time on his side to be overly cautious.

Fourteen days had already passed since the agreement establishing the Moon Mother's protection. His one-year timeline was shrinking with every moment of inaction.

Finn frowned slightly at that thought, continuing his contemplation, but his thoughts were interrupted when the carriage began to slow.

Thalia, who'd been sitting across from him with her eyes closed and the Mnemosyne silent beside her, opened her eyes.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked softly.

Finn looked at her directly, knowing exactly what was happening. "We're almost at our destination. We'll continue the rest of the journey on foot."

Thalia studied him for a moment, her eyes sharp despite the weeks of emotional recovery she'd been working through. "Isn't it about time you explained what's happening? What we're getting into?"

Finn nodded slowly.

Thalia had improved significantly over the past week. She wasn't quite back to how she'd been before the betrayal. That easy confidence and natural command had been damaged, perhaps permanently. But she'd opened up more. Became more receptive again.

In fact, her patience had been remarkable considering how Finn had kept her in the dark about their destination and purpose. Almost too patient, which made Finn suspect the Mnemosyne had spoken to her privately about things he wasn't aware of.

Whatever Ailin had said — if she'd said anything at all — it had made Thalia more receptive and slightly more trusting despite everything that had happened.

For now, though, Finn knew he needed to explain at least part of what was coming.

The carriage came to a complete stop beneath a large tree just off the dirt road. Moments later, Silvana opened the door from outside.

"It's time," she said respectfully, her pale eyes meeting Finn's.

Finn shared a nod with her. She returned it, then moved to the back of the carriage.

She returned seconds later carrying a bag. When she opened it, Finn saw clothes inside. Common clothes. Plain, rough fabric in brown, earthy tones. The kind that farmers and laborers wore. Nothing that would draw attention or suggest wealth.

Finn looked back at Thalia.

"I'll explain more as we travel," he said quietly. "But in essence, from this moment forward, we're commoners. Pure mortals. Nothing more."

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