《Am I The Creator Or The Destroyer?》


 Chapter I - Birth of E.V.E

    In the void of space, a singularity formed. It tore through the fabric of reality, devoured space and time, feeding the little life that slept inside.


    The sight was phenomenal.


    A black hole the size of a million suns ravaged through the void, searching for anything the universe could feed it with. It left a path of large debris as it devoured celestial objects, nebulas, and galaxies.


    If one looked closely enough, one would see that the more the singularity devoured, the more the fetus inside its womb grew. It suckled on the celestial nutrients its mother had provided for her and grew at an astronomical rate. And finally, when the singularity reached the size of a pocket universe, the fetus''s heart thumped.


    With every one of its heartbeats, its growth accelerated at the expense of its mother''s health.


    When it''s first heartbeat came, its body reached infancy. The little female infant wore a crown of void-black hair and sported tiny, chubby limbs.


    With the second beat, the infant became a toddler. Her hair kissed the tips of her shoulders as her body grew out of its tanned cocoon, and came out as milky white.


    The third beat, however, did not come as the child stopped breathing. Its mother''s reaction was immediate and panicked. A soul-shattering shriek shook the universe as the supermassive black hole quickly tried to feed its child with an unadulterated dosage of cosmic energy.


    The toddler''s mouth opened slightly, desperately consuming its worried mother''s nourishment before turning silent again. The universe hushed, biting its fingernails as it peeled its ears for the heartbeat of the child.


    Just as all hope seemed to have been lost, the soothing heartbeat returned with intense vigor. A plethora of colors imploded from within the supermassive singularity''s womb, tickling its child''s ravenous hunger; she greedily absorbed all of the cosmic dust into her body and smiled when she finished her meal.


    Her heart throbbed with its third beat. The toddler instantly skipped the rest of the developmental stages as her body transformed into the size of a teenage girl. Her hair that blended with the emptiness of space elongated to the tips of her waist as her features became more announced.


    As the fourth heartbeat pounded through the universe, the teenage girl''s features changed to that of a mature, full-fledged adult. The sleeping beauty had an otherworldly charm that drew even the celestial stars in and displayed a body seductive enough to make angels fall.


    As her fifth heartbeat resounded, the universal black hole exploded and collapsed on itself, releasing an immense wave of radiation and heat, obliterating everything in its path, leaving behind its child two presents. The unwanted elements merged into a backless, stygian wardress that exuded an aura of supremacy and an elysian crown that demanded subservience. Both slowly fixed themselves onto the nude body of the gorgeous woman.


    Then the final sixth beat came.


    With it, the woman''s eyes opened wide, revealing two orbs of gray-black that showed instant shock.


    She sucked in a heavy breath of celestial dust, before her eyes darted left and right, scanning her surroundings in a shock-induced frenzy as her breasts heaved with every hectic breath.


    ''Where am I?!'' The woman thought, her hands fumbling around her face. "Is this hell?" She removed the thought when a question hit her like a truck. Wait. What''s hell?


    She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to grasp at the fleeting memories in her brain. Her breathing slowed.


    She scanned her surroundings again and clenched her jaw when she saw that only space greeted her. "Who am I?" Another frustrating question introduced itself.


    "I... I can''t remember anything?!" The raven-haired woman quickly took deep, regular breaths. For some reason, it felt right to do that as her panic started to grow tired. "No, I can''t afford to panic right now."


    "Breathe in. Breathe out. That''s right; think carefully." She coaxed her mind into a state of calm. "Think. Remember. Is there anything you remember?"


    She cursed as her mind gave her the middle finger. She looked at the infinite horizon, and the shimmering radiance of the cosmos as a thought struck her mind. "Wait a minute, how am I even breathing right now?"


    She did a double-take. ''How do I know you can''t breathe in space?''


    The previous resting stream of questions came back. ''Breathe in. Breathe out.''


    Her curiosity slowly died down as she assessed her situation with a fresh mind. "First of all, I''m stranded in space, with no sign of life for miles."


    She ignored the nagging curiosity and focused. "Second, I am somehow alive in said space without dying." She bit her perfectly trimmed fingernails. "Third, I have no recollection of anything and everything."


    "No." The woman looked at a blinking star and somehow knew that it was called a star. "I do know what things are called and their functions, but not how I know them."


    "Goddamn, it," She whispered, her voice chiming like heavenly bells. She crouched down and sat with her head down. As she saw comets whisk past her vision, she only then noticed she was also somehow flying? Floating? In space?


    She returned her attention to the familiar warm void of space. "What am I supposed to do now?"


    A faint image of something green sparkled in her peripheral vision.


    "Should I just-Argh!" She clutched her head, holding it for dear life as she felt like a giant grabbed a hammer and was trying to break her head open.


    She tightened her hold on her head as her body rolled around the void. "Whose memories are these?!"


    She opened her eyes, noticing that her vision had turned red as a tragic tale of a young girl unfold before her eyes.


    The little girl didn''t mind the innocent soul her parents had betrayed.


    The girl didn''t mind the fire her lover had set upon her body.


    The woman didn''t mind the stakes her followers had pierced into her heart.


    She took all of the suffering, the agony, and pain with a smile, for, in the end, she had escaped the circle of hatred and suffering.


    And her name was,


    "Eve. The Almighty One." As the words left her mouth, the beautiful woman''s eyes returned to their onyx color.


    She dropped down onto the cushion of space as she panted. "Wh-What? How, how do I know her name?"


    Wiping the sweat forming on her brows, she practiced her mantra of serenity. As she calmed down, she felt something move inside her veins. ''What in the world?''


    She fell into even more confusion as an answer formed immediately inside her mind. "Orix. The purest form of energy."


    A set of instructions formed inside her mind, teaching her of the many things the practitioners of this mysterious energy were able to perform. It was in-depth, complete, and a full manual on its usage and application. As she continued reading the manual, the woman felt a sense of enlightenment.


    "I see." She said, exhaling a breath of energy. "This supernatural energy is helping me survive in literal space even though I should have been frozen to death ages ago."


    "It''s all to the wonders of Orix." She muttered to herself.


    In hindsight, Orix allowed it''s few practitioners to perform godly feats, some of which are: bending the laws of the universe or surviving in a star. Of course, the level of achievement one could perform would depend on the practitioner''s knowledge of the supernatural nature of Orix.


    "But still, it doesn''t change the fact that I''m still stranded in the middle of the uni-wait. What''s that sound?" Her ears peeled further as she looked in a particular direction.


    The sound of metal scraping against one another and the roars of men filled her ears even though it should have been impossible for sound to travel through vacuum. But nevertheless, she remained calm and attributed it to one of her body''s abilities.


    "Where the hell is it coming from?" She looked around and tried to search for the source of the sound but ultimately failed. There was nothing around for thousands of light-years except for the distant stars and clusters of cosmic energy.


    "Focus." A voice in her mind instructed her. "Relax your body. Direct the Orix in your stomach to your ears and eyes."


    She immediately jumped back in shock. "What the hell?! Who are you?!"


    Astounding silence answered her question as the void looked at her like an idiot. "Maybe I heard wrong?" She calmed her spiking heart.


    "What was that voice?" She scanned her eyes around.


    She looked around, trying to see if there was anyone or anything that could be messing with her mind. Then, she pondered over the voice''s words. She thought over who the mysterious voice could have been but scratched her neck in frustration as waves of answerless questions followed the train of thought. So, she instead focused on the voice''s words and tried to think over what it had just said.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "It''s instructing me?" She asked herself. "But why?"


    The previous sounds of war returned to answer her question. "It wants me to go to the sound?"


    Her body and mind nodded at her question. She stared at her long, icy fingers that looked like it was going to break off soon. "I have no recollection of myself, stranded in a universe where logic and physics are thrown out the window and left with nothing but a mystical energy."


    "And, this body wants me to dive into something I have completely, absolutely no awareness of?" She muttered to herself, aghast at the idea. "Granted, I have power, a lot in fact, but there is always the possibility of someone more powerful than me to just pop up and kill me."


    She stared at the never-ending cosmos. "But, It''s the only hint I''ve got."


    She sighed. "Alright. So, it told me to focus?"


    She calmed her mind and closed her eyes, ignoring the visual stars and patterns that illuminated her internal darkness.


    "Direct the Orix in your stomach."


    She tried to sense the pure energy that flowed through her veins and eventually traced them back to their origin; her stomach. Then, she tugged at the seemingly infinite mass of sheer power in her abdomen and pumped it to her ears.


    Instantly, a chaotic song of static and electrical chirps played at full volume in her ears.


    "Arghh. TOo much!" She stopped her Orix circulation immediately and fell panting, trying to suck in every breath of Orix into her lungs.


    After taking a moment to calm herself, she exhaled and closed her eyes. "Let''s do this one more time but gentler."


    "Gently..." The strangely warm feeling of Orix slowly slithered through her veins, as she ordered it to rest in her ears. The previous chaotic song transformed into a slow melody of beautiful harmony and order. It felt like the universe was singing to her, a song that only the trusted and seekers of knowledge could hear.


    "How beautiful." She unconsciously relaxed into the choir of the universe before shaking herself awake. "No. I can''t afford to lose focus here. Onto the next anatomy."


    She closed her eyes and slowly coaxed the Orix in her stomach. She masterfully, already having done this once, directed the pure energy into her eyes.


    And as she blinked open her eyes, an abundance of color filled her vision.


    "Woah..." She could see almost everything in the universe. She saw the fireflies that shone with brilliance, the large clusters of celestial dust and energy, the beautiful nebulas that groaned, and finally, the black canvas that all of creation was painted on.


    A tear dropped from her eye. It amazed her at how big the universe was, the amount of life it hosted, and the amount of paths is provided.


    Yet as she looked in a particular direction, past the many oceans of gases, she felt something call for her. Nay, it begged for her. Without a thought, her instinct took over her mind and ordered the body to start the circulation of Orix. Her crown flared a deep gold as a blanket of energy wrapped itself around her body.


    The beautiful woman seemed to gain control of her body again and wondered why her heart was thumping so loud. As she felt her blood starting to boil and the cloak of white on her body, she realized what was going to happen.


    But it was too late. "Wait!" She could only gasp in shock before her body disappeared and zoomed through space.


    She closed her eyes and held her arms before her face, bracing for an impact of some sort in a moment of shock-induced stupidity.


    "Lean into your aura. Trust it." The sultry voice came back and instructed her again.


    She could do nothing but to place her trust in the voice. And so, she leaned into the gentle aura that protected her from the abrasion of air. She sped through the cosmos, looking on in amazement at the flashes of color that darted past her vision. Be it gas giants, remnants of a dead star, or the birth of a new one, and she saw all of it happen for a split moment before flying past them at speed beyond light.


    She felt like she could just look at the cosmic flowers forever, but unfortunately, she arrived at her destination, or at least, the voice''s goal.


    As the skin-tight, ghostly aura disappeared into mid-air, she felt a green light wash over her sensitive eyes. Terminating her circulation of Orix, she sighed, feeling the addicting god-like energy trickle down to her stomach.


    She shook her head before opening her eyes. Her breath stopped when her eyes landed on what was arguably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She knew it sounded arrogant since she was just born not too long ago, but she stood by her claim.


    ''What is the name of...'' The woman''s thoughts were filled with praises of such beauty. Her eyes twinkled and glistened with a greenish glow as she looked at the emerald planet.


    The giant marble blinked with vivid brilliance and basked in the protective warmth of it''s flushed, celestial father. It turned away shyly when it noticed her gobsmacked face, blushing a deep green. Two blue moons teased their older sister, ridiculing her for being shy as they secretly longed for their romance.


    She felt small, floating before the jade planet as the scenery warmed her heart and cleared her muddled thoughts.


    For the moment, she felt at home.


    But her praises were cut short as the clanging of metals and the booming of explosions returned. But this time, it was a little different because this time, it was also accompanied with prayers and cries of agony that pleaded for salvation and aid.


    ''That''s new.'' She remarked as her mind was flooded with thoughts of sadness and misery as she listened to them pleading for help and mercy. She felt all of their emotions like she was them, and they were her.


    ''Is it one of this body''s abilities?'' She felt even more curious of this body and the skills it hid. Nevertheless, she focused on the heart-rending moans and groans. It was at that moment, a queasy feeling in her gut told her, begged her to go or else she would regret it one day.


    But what could she do? No, the bigger question was, could she even help them?


    She had just been born not too long ago and her achievements since then comprised of just understanding Orix, enhancing all of her body (In theory), and traveling faster than the speed of light even though she had no idea how to replicate the effects again.


    Also, she still had no concept of the power levels of this universe, but seeing as she''s able to survive through space, it must be pretty ridiculous.


    As she thought of just ignoring the calls of help, an image formed in her mind. It was of a girl who had been cursed with misfortune and begged everyone, anyone, to help her yet felt broken when no-one answered her calls.


    ''Damn it. It''s not even my freaking memories.'' She clenched her fist, annoyed that her body was reacting to the calls.


    "Argh, fine, I''ll go, so stop your whining already!" She yelled at her own body like a madwoman as the wails of pain decreased in decibel, satisfied with her answer.


    She grimaced when a bright flash of light appeared before her eyes. "What in the hell...?"


    "Well done. It looks like I can believe in you after all." The sultry, mysterious voice resounded, and this time, she knew it wasn''t in her mind.


    She rubbed her eyes open and felt her blood run cold at what she saw.


    There was no mistaking the long, black hair, the crown that sat on her head, and the beautiful stygian wardress that she donned with pride. A string of words popped up in her mind.


    The Breaker of Chains


    The Lord of All,


    The Alpha and Omega


    But most importantly, the woman in her visions had appeared in front of her with a smug grin on her face as she glowed like an ephemeral ghost.


    "Eve." She whispered in fright.


    "Joan," Eve replied, a calm smile hanging on her ruby-red lips.


    All of the hairs on Joan''s skin rose up as she wore a dumbfounded look. "You... you know who I am?"


    Eve floated closer. "Of course. I know a lot of things. I know the origin of life. I know the answer to death. He''s a pretty funny guy once you know him."


    "Where was I? Oh yeah, the ''I know who you are'' part. Right. " Eve grinned. "Of course, I know you. After all, we''re the same person, you and I."


    Joan furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"


    Eve tore a rift through space and took out a golden, embroidered mirror. "See for yourself."


    Joan reached for the mirror with a confused look on her face. But as she held the mirror in her pale fingers and turned it around, she almost dropped it, courtesy of the million voltage that shocked her brain.


    "Wha... What?" Joan swallowed her shock and looked at the mirror and back to Eve again. Why did she see Eve''s reflection in the mirror?!


    Joan felt her knees tremble and heard her bones rattle, but she ignored them and asked with a shaking hand. "B-But, how?!"


    Eve ordered the mirror to return to the pocket dimension before looking at her younger self. "There are a lot of things that you don''t know yet, little Joanie. But it''s fine."


    "All of your Lil ol questions will be answered in due time." Eve cupped Joan''s face and looked dead serious. "But for now, you need to hurry."


    "Hurry? To where?" Joan''s eyes quivered like fishes as questions piled on top of each other. It hadn''t been even a minute since this woman has entered her life, but she was already messing up her mind.


    Eve placed her dainty hand above Joan''s heart and smiled. "Trust me. You know where."


    She giggled when she saw the confusion in Joan''s eyes before quirking her eyebrows up. "Before all of the whole ''world-saving'' you''re about to do, here''s a little present from me." Her hands cupped both sides of Joan as she leaned in for a kiss.


    A shocked moan escaped Joan''s lips. But before she could try and push the mysterious woman away, an influx of memories had appeared in her mind. She closed her head and braced for an excruciating pain to hit her but felt confused when a gentle stream of information flowed inside her brain.


    Joan soon realized that the memories were of Eve practicing her arsenal of skills, the martial forms she practiced to exercise their fullest potential, and, most importantly, the immense experience and instinct she attained from her long life of suffering.


    Eve detached her rosy lips from Joan''s and floated back. She smirked mischievously, "You''re a horrible kisser."


    She enjoyed the dumbfounded look on Joan''s face. "I hope you enjoyed the gift. ''Cause if you didn''t, I''d be pretty mad at you."


    "I-you, what? Uh..." Joan stated dumbly in response. The stream of information that flooded her mind and the kiss that Eve had just imposed on her was too much for Joan to comprehend.


    Eve just stared at her reflection and smiled. It was tiresome being able to know and do everything, but as she peeked at the endless paths that cruel fate had prepared for her, she felt excited. She grinned, not having felt that feeling for a long, long time.At least not since she had first started on her journey.


    Eve sighed before realizing that her body was disappearing. "Ah. I guess my time is up."


    "Wh-Wait!" Joan rushed to catch Eve''s body as her brain registered the fact that Eve was slowly turning to cosmic dust. "You still haven''t told me how you know my name!"


    Eve laughed and dodged Joan''s grapple. "You''ll know soon enough! After all, you have quite a lifetime to figure it out!"


    Eve giggled before snapping her fingers. "Well then, adios!" Her presence and body disintegrated into cosmic dust.


    Joan was silent as she stood frozen in her position, her hands reaching for where Eve had just been. She inhaled a deep breath of Orix before slowly exhaling as she retracted her hand and stared at it before clenching it tightly.


    "What the hell, you can''t just drop a bombshell on someone and just leave like that." Joan gritted her teeth. "What ''Absolute One''? More like a freaking scammer."


    Joan raised her face and showed closed eyes. "I swear on my name that I''ll figure out all of your mysteries. And after? I hope there is an afterplace for deities, you damned trickster."


    "But first things first." Joan relaxed her body before circulating the warm, pure Orix around her veins. "I have a planet that needs my help, a universe of mysteries to be explored, and a life of questions that needs to be answered."


    Joan turned her attention to the giant jade marmoreal as the wails of agony filled her ears. She stilled her body and circulated Orix into her eyes smoothly. The super binocular view took her past the clouds of gold, past the seas of monsters, past the elysian islands, and finally rested on the source of the cries and moans of pain.


    She felt like puking when she saw the grim theatre that was playing before her enhanced eyes. All source of color visibly drained from her face before she felt something cold wash over her mind, calming her down immediately.


    She exhaled a shaky breath and brought herself to a state of absolute calm. "All right, it''s time to see what this body can do."


    She closed her eyes and felt for her Orix that slept deep in her stomach and woke the colossal beast up. Her crown started to flare up brighter than any star as a cloak of white wrapped itself around her body. After she felt the warm hug of her aura, she passed down an order to her body.


    "Fly." Her body instantly turned into a flash of white that whisked past the two moons and charged at the jade planet; the distance between her and said world quickly growing shorter by the second.


    ''Just hold on for a little more. The cavalry is coming.'' Joan mused as she blinked through space.

 Chapter II: Descent of A Goddess

    Sephiria had experienced many things in her life, but the mind-numbing situation she was currently in was undoubtedly something she wished never happened.


    But what could she do? Even a demi-god had her limits.


    She placed a rook at B-6. "Check."


    The chessboard was silent for a while before it glowed red and moved its king backward to F-7. The spot wasn''t exactly ideal, but it was either that or risk a checkmate with the enemy''s queen. At present, it only had a rook and a king, whereas the princess completely dominated the board with her king, queen, and rook.


    Sephiria pondered over her next move, but her thoughts were interrupted by a knight that barged into her chambers. "Your highness, I''m afraid to say we''ve lost several of our troops to the Holy Theocracy. At present, only our infantry stands!"


    He kneeled. "Please, your orders!"


    Sephiria held the necklace around her neck tightly before she turned to look at her subject. "We hold."


    She returned her attention to the chessboard and moved her bishop to B-7. "Check."


    The chessboard gleamed red for a while, analyzing its possibilities for victory before it moved its rook back to block the princess''s rook.


    The knight fervently raised his head. "But, princess!"


    Sephiria sighed before releasing her hold on her rook. "Tell me, knight. Where are we right now?"


    "What?" The knight asked, befuddled at why the princess was asking such an obvious question in such a critical time.


    Sephiria stood up and banged her fist on the table that stood beside her. "This is the last time I''ll repeat myself. Where are we right now?!"


    The knight immediately lowered his head, not daring to face the wrath of the princess. "I-I believe we are currently at the Plains of Asylum!"


    She laughed inwardly at the irony of the name.


    "That''s right." The princess kneaded her temples with her gauntlet-covered hands. "And tell me fool, with all the patience I have left, what will happen if we hand over this position to those maggots?"


    The knight''s face turned pale as realization struck him. "Then, the Holy Theocracy would obtain an extraction point directly in front of the Fantasia Kingdom and, therefore, have the power to interfere with our supply routes... "


    She mercilessly ate the rook with her own as the chessboard shone before moving it''s King backward to G-8. "And don''t forget the many villages situated there. Is it in your interest to cause unnecessary bloodshed, hm?"


    The knight shook his head and said, "Of course not!"


    "Look. If we lose this spot, then it''s basically, " Sephiria moved her queen to A-8. "checkmate for the Fantasia Kingdom."


    The chessboard gleamed red sporadically before the light show died down in surrender.


    Sephiria then focused her attention on the knight. "If we lose this fort, we might as well as hand over our kingdom to those greedy self-proclaimed servants of the gods."


    Sephiria took a shaky breath. "Tell our men to hold the fort with their lives lest they want to see their wives get raped by those pigs. Do I make myself clear, knight?"


    Sephiria stood on bending knees and stared directly at the knight that hid behind plated armor.


    The knight turned his eyes away and nodded repetitively. "I-I understand, your highness. With the wind''s haste!" He stood on shaking knees and ran out of the royal chambers like his life depended on it.


    Sephiria looked on at her knight''s retreating figure and plopped down on the nearest chair. She lifted the necklace, sleeping on her chest and stared at it with gentle eyes.


    "Father, what am I supposed to do now?" She whispered. "All of our key lands are in the occupation of the Holy Theocracy. As we speak, they are now demanding the subservience of our fatherland."


    The princess looked outside the glass panes of her royal chamber and winced when she saw that even the sky had turned black from war.


    "Father, if you''re watching me from the fields of Elysium, please grant me victory."


    The princess held the necklace in her hands as she prayed to any of the gods that were kind enough to listen to a mortal''s pleas.


    ''Please, oh mighty lords of heaven.'' Sephiria kneeled on the floor. ''If any of you are listening, please help us all.''


    And then she opened her eyes. Yet, nothing had changed.


    But it was excellent; this was the cold truth of reality that she had long since swallowed with a heavy heart.


    Her prayer was more of a desperate attempt, if anything at all. "But I can''t deny that a small part of me desired their help. Who wouldn''t? Even if I want to deny it, we''re losing this war."


    "Be that as it may, there''s no changing the fact that this fort will fall sooner or later." She sighed. "I just hope I can salvage this situation enough by the time my beloved mother finish assembling her army."


    Sephiria stood up and called for her lifelong partner, comrade, and sword [BloodFell].


    The princess smiled when she saw her sword materialize before her eyes and gently traced the bloody blade of her sword. It nuzzled to the warmth of her palms, vibrating slightly in joy.


    She held her necklace. "Father. I''ll make you proud today."


    Sephiria Faux Fantasia, the princess of the Fantasia Kingdom, grabbed her sword and equipped herself with her usual light armor crafted from the magic resistant ore of mithril.


    She opened the curtains; her skinny, silver armor twinkled from the light that pierced the window. A maroon skirt made from the most beautiful fabric swayed from her hips, as her armor dragged a flowing white cape that had been embroidered with the golden tree which represented her kingdom.


    ''Mother...'' She picked up a red scarf and wore it around her neck, covering the necklace underneath. Then, she walked out of her chambers and climbed up the spiral staircase, ignoring the many knights that bowed to her on her way up.


    As Sephiria arrived on top of the brick fort, she frowned when the pungent smell of blood and ash entered her nose. She looked up. "Even the celestial objects are prone to the greed of humans, huh?"


    The fiery star of Alterra swelled in anger, raging as its glory had been hindered by the fumes that were the mortal sins. The sky had turned pitch black as death hanged in the air. It was a soul-wrenching experience to see how ugly humans could be if they wanted something that they were denied.


    She walked to a crenel between two merlons and looked onwards to the plains that had been scarred and tainted black. Her mind fell into disarray when she saw the waves of red dominating her little squads of white.


    Bannermen of the Holy Theocracy stood tall and held their flags up high while trampling on the pride of the Fantasia Kingdom. Battalions of full plated knights and magicians dominated her quivering infantry that looked like it was about to break soon. The situation on the sky was no different. Thousands of wyvern riders oppressed the air, paving a way of blood and death through her men that tried to stop them.


    ''It''s sad to think that only our mages are capable of holding back their army.'' Sephiria grimaced, increasing her grip on the stone merlon. ''At this rate, this fort will be taken by dawn.''


    She heard her men begging for help, wailing in pain, and some even wished for the sweet embrace of death. She knew if she didn''t do anything soon, the fort would be conquered even faster than her expectations.


    ''I have no choice then.'' She released her grip and turned around to the watchman beside her.


    "Rally all of the men in this fort," Sephiria ordered. "I expect to see them by the time I descend."


    The watchmen kneeled, frowning at the implied meaning. "My wish is your command." He trotted through the steps to the bottom of the fort to lay out his highness''s orders.


    The princess felt the cold hands of the wind caressing her face as her scarf flapped against it. She drew her sword and grinned when she saw the gleam of red for a split second.


    "Well, it sure isn''t hard to make you motivated." The war princess placed her eager sword back in its sheath. "I''ll make sure you taste the blood of our enemies, old friend."


    She took off her cape and tied it to her arm, showing off the golden insignia of her beloved kingdom to the rest of the world. After, she dusted off the dirt from her armor and clenched her fists. ''I''m coming for you bastards.''


    Then, she walked down the spiral staircase until she made her way outside the fort''s walls. The war princess smiled when she saw the result of her dutiful watchmen.


    All of her men that had been stationed in the fort had assembled before her, kneeling to her authority. She could feel their hearts pound against their metallic chest as they awaited her command.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She gratefully took the handles of a horse that her subject had given her and climbed it, petting the white mane of the sturdy horse. She turned to her soldiers.


    "I believe everyone here already knows my order." The war princess started. "I know that everyone here has a family back in the kingdom, waiting for the sweet embrace of their son, father, and husband."


    "If you are standing here now, before the crest of the Fantasia Kingdom, know that they will be severely disappointed." She banged on her chest plate. "However!"


    "What they will see is the sacrifice of their husbands! The might of their father! And, the glory of their son!"


    "Know that through your deaths, you will be placed on the highest pedestal of honor and enter the sacred realm of heroes!"


    "Do not be scared of death! Instead, charge to him and tell him that you died a hero!"


    "That is why I ask of you men, are you prepared to die?!" Sephiria yelled.


    "Hoo-Ah!" They thumped their swords on the stone-ridden ground in response. Sephiria''s heart throbbed with pride when she saw the hardened look on her soldier''s faces. It didn''t matter if they lost the war or suffered humiliation from their enemy, she knew that today, their pride as the defenders of the Fantasia Kingdom would be told through history.


    "I said, are you ready to die?!" The war princess roared.


    The army of Fantasia drew their swords and raised it above their heads. "Hoo-Ah!"


    "Then follow me to hell, you maggots!" Sephiria drew her sword and aimed it at their end. "Charge!" She kicked her horse with her heel and rode onwards to death with her brave army following right behind her. They stormed past the frontline and onto their enemies, leaving only a trail of pride and roars on their way.


    The soldiers of the Holy Theocracy stopped their seemingly invincible march as they looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. They held their rectangular shields before their body and hid behind them, forming into a V formation when they saw the raging army led by the princess, charging at them like rabid dogs.


    Whereas the injured soldiers of the Fantasia Kingdom forgot their pain and cheered for the arrival of their war princess, feeling a rush of adrenaline coursing through their veins. They stood up, wounded or not, and roared at their previously imposing enemies before following their princess''s lead. A song of steel and blood played as the overwhelming march of the empire was stopped by the aid of the princess''s emergence in the battlefield.


    ''Where is he?!'' Sephiria speed-scanned the battlefield before throwing a lance of magical fire at a red wyvern. The wyvern screeched before it fell to the ground, killing both itself and its rider.


    She continued to pave a path of corpses as her blood-thirsty sword throbbed in excitement, greedily sucking all of the blood that decorated its steel mouth.


    She parried a slash from a Holy knight. "Where is your general?" She demanded, [BloodFell] growling at the young soldier.


    "Like hell, I''ll tell you, Fantasian whore!" He charged at the princess with his sword raised high. He imagined all the riches and fame that would surround him once he beheaded the well-known war princess, but reality hit him in the head and slashed his body into two.


    The fountain of blood that sprayed out of the soldier was instantly sucked up by the cursed sword of Sephiria and gleamed continuously. ''This is why the theocracy''s soldiers are...'' She sighed before slashing her sword diagonally, leaving an arc of blood on the ground.


    She continued searching for her prey. ''I''ll find you and make sure you wish you were never born.'' Since millenniums, the two kingdoms used to have an equal amount of power, but because of a single man''s treachery, the delicate balance broke.


    Sephiria sensed immediate danger to her right, and so she jumped from her horse and backflipped mid-air, narrowly dodging a blazing ball of fire.


    Boom!


    An explosion blew up meters behind Sephiria''s location as she landed gracefully on the dirt.


    The war princess''s features darkened as a tall came into her view. The man wore leather armor hidden beneath the white overcoat that portrayed an inky eastern dragon swallowing a star.


    "Erec." She gritted her teeth.


    Erec brushed his long blonde hair that had been dyed red and smirked devilishly. "My beloved princess, Sephiria." He mock bowed.


    "Draw your sword, deserter." Sephiria pointed her sword at the cause of her kingdom''s plight and her men''s deaths.


    "Don''t tell me you''re still mad about the betrayal." Erec shook his head when he saw the steel on his ex-princess''s face and held his silver sword. "Oh come on, they promised me a life of gold and women. Am I supposed to reject that for some honor? Besides, it''s just one little kingdom, what''s the big fuss?"


    "My father should never have shown you mercy!" Sephiria kicked the ground with the force of a thousand suns and leaped at the defector.


    Eric blocked the strike but still had to take a step back from the force. "Keogh. You''re still as strong as ever, princess."


    "Or should I say, Sephi?" Eric leaned into his sword.


    "Don''t use that name, scum!" Sephiria withdrew her sword and attempted for a kick to which Eric blocked with the face of his sword. Eric tried to grab her greaves but was forced to dodge a swing of Sephiria''s sword.


    He jumped back, trying to take control of the dance. "What? Are you telling me the princess can''t take a little joke?"


    "This is why I liked your father more. You see," Eric mimed a sword piercing through his heart. "Even after I killed him, he still told me he believed in me and tried to convince me to go back home like some saint."


    Eric burst out laughing when he remembered the face of his victim. "I just love it, you know. The stupid look he had on when I stabbed his heart. It makes me so,"


    "So very hard." Eric''s features twisted into a deranged, distorted version of itself as his body shook with laughter.


    Sephiria gripped her sword tightly. "I''ll kill you," Sephiria whispered, the wind fleeing from the rage peeking from those words.


    Eric stopped laughing and grinned. "What was that, princess?"


    "I''ll kill you!" A violent gust of wind suddenly blew from the warrior princess as Sephiria tightened her hold on her sword and kept it near her hip.


    To his mistake, Eric blinked as the princess disappeared from his eyes and reappeared just before him, as she coiled her arms back, preparing to skewer his head. ''?!'' He dodged the blow quickly and jumped back to get some space but had to dodge another quick strike mid-air.


    He masterfully cartwheeled on the floor and stuck his footing carefully on the ground. Realizing that it would be his demise if he underestimated his ex-princess any longer, he went for the offensive.


    He charged an extreme amount of mana into his body, the effect causing his muscles to look as if they were about to burst. Even then, he could only barely catch the swift movements of the warrior princess. ''It''s no wonder they call her a prodigy.''


    He charged at the princess and entered into battle. For the next minutes, they exchanged a flurry of strikes and magic too fast for ordinary human beings to see.


    With each exchange of swords, strong gales of wind blew across the battlefield as the sound barrier broke with every clash. It seemed like the battle would go on forever until Sephiria parried a careless poke from Eric and severed his left arm.


    "Argh!" Eric immediately jumped back and grasped his lost limb, attempting to stop the blood from flowing forcibly. He raised his head and conveyed venom to his severer but instead, shivered from the coldness that emanated from Sephiria''s eyes. He knew if he didn''t do something soon, he would die by the princess''s blade.


    On the other hand, Sephiria calmly exhaled and held her sword diagonally at waist length. "I will have your head, renegade."


    ''Where the hell is he?'' Eric released his grip on his severed arm and dropped his sword before raising his hands. ''He owes me one for making me buy time.''


    "Princess, don''t you think you''re too cruel?" He said. "I mean, don''t you have any feelings for your ex-fianc¨¦?"


    Sephiria felt anger bubbling in the pits of her heart. "All forms of mercy died the day you betrayed my kingdom."


    "Surely, you''re overdramatic." Eric waved his hands. "Please, I know there''s still some good left in your heart."


    Sephiria crouched down and sent a stream of mana to her legs and sword; [BloodFell] vibrated with joy at the delicious drink.


    ''Finally.'' He smiled when he felt the familiar magical signature. "I see. Then before you kill me, let me tell you something."


    "Save it for your grave." Sephiria kicked the ground under her feet and immediately arrived before the relaxed betrayer. She swung her sword diagonally, her blade eager to finally taste the blood of their prime enemy.


    "Look, right." Eric pointed his index finger to the right.


    Bang!


    "Urk!" Sephiria''s body flung to the right as her sword flew away from her grasp. Her body rolled continuously across the many dead bodies that slept on the ground of soot and eventually stopped hundreds of meters away from her original position. A sharp pain struck her right obliques as she coughed out gobs of blood.


    "Wh-What?" Sephiria''s hands shivered when she saw the streams of blood that flowed out of her sides. "Ho-How?"


    Eric burst out laughing when she saw the confused look on the fearless war princess''s face.


    "That face was exactly what I wanted to see!" His inner sadistic switch had been flipped. "Are you shocked? Surprised?! Wondering what just happened?"


    "Tell me!" Eric appeared in front of Sephiria and drove his sword deep into her plated thigh.


    "Argh!" Sephiria yelled in pain. She tried to maintain a cool head but couldn''t as Eric kept twisting his blade inside her thigh.


    Eric released his handle on his sword and grabbed his ex-princess by her hair, and gazed into her angry golden eyes. "You see. I knew I couldn''t win against you, so you wanna know what I did?"


    Sephiria spat onto her ex subject''s face. "Foul." He wiped the spit with a cloth he took out of his plated pants. "Don''t ever do that again." He stood up and bashed Sephiria''s head onto his knee.


    Ignoring the shivering princess that continuously vomited blood, he clapped his hands and said, "Anyway, what I did was-"


    "Just kill her already."'' A tall man equipped with a simple silver chest plate and gauntlets stated coldly; his dead brown eyes are sneering at the weak figure of Sephiria.


    "Ah, Edgar! I was just about to tell her about you!" Eric laughed and clapped his hands. He turned to the princess with a sadistic smile. "I believe you two have already met."


    "Princess, meet your favorite uncle, general, Edgar! Edgar, Sephi." Eric waved dramatically.


    Sephiria coughed out another gob of blood. "E-Edgar, how could you?" She held her heart that threatened to burst at any minute as she tried to ignore the sharp numbing feeling that spread around her body.


    Was this how her father felt when Eric had betrayed him?


    Edgar merely took off his gauntlets and cupped his nephew''s* marred face. "Blame it on your dead father." He looked into his niece''s golden eyes before frowning.


    "Even until death, your father governs you." Edgar cursed softly. "If only the circumstances were different my dear niece. But the fates are cruel."


    Edgar turned away. "Let us go, Eric."


    Eric stood up and yanked his sword out of the bleeding princess''s thigh and looked confused. "We''re not gonna kill her?"


    Edgar sighed. "What''s the point? She''ll die in the next couple of minutes anyway." He looked at the bed of roses that the princess was sleeping on.


    "I guess you''re right. What do you want to do next? Ooh! Wanna go kill some more little fantasia knights?" Eric giggled as he hopped beside Edgar, who only groaned at his friend''s sadistic needs.


    Meanwhile, the princess felt broken and weak in her growing pool of blood. She blew at the flickering flame that threatened to burn out and reached for her cherished necklace.


    Her body moved like a snail, leaving a trail of blood as her shaking hand extended slowly to the necklace. She felt happy when the tips of her fingers curled around the steel chain. Then, her fingers weakly dragged the string until the entirety of the necklace was in the bloody warmth of her hands.


    ''Father... I''m sorry.'' Sephiria weakly looked at the horizontal view of the war. Her heart burned with anger when she saw her men being slaughtered with each passing second as butterflies fluttered in her stomach when she saw the disrespect they expressed to the flags of her father''s legacy.


    She slowly pressed her numb fingers into a fist. ''Please gods. Anyone. Help us.''


    She bit her lips enough to draw blood when no form of salvation arrived. ''What have I ever done to anger you? I''ve been a good girl ever since I was young! Why must this happen to me? To us?! It''s not fair!''


    Her surroundings remained the same scenery of carnage. ''Screw all of you then! I swear on my father''s grave even after my death, I''ll burn all of my enemies down. I''ll break their limbs and sever their heads! I''ll- I''ll. .''


    Sephira felt her consciousness dim. ''Please. I can''t die here. Not yet.''


    ''Ple. .ase. .'' And then everything was dark.


    . . .


    . . . .


    . . . . . .


    "Well said." A voice boomed from above the heavens as the sky immediately cleansed its moody atmosphere and prepared a golden robe for the descent of its lord. The repressed glory of the sun finally broke through the ashy blankets of human avarice and caressed the ethereal body of the goddess that hovered above creation.


    Her starry, stygian dress danced with the wind as her void-black eyes looked down on the sins of man with contempt. Every soldier, be they from the Fantasia Kingdom of the Holy Empire, dropped their weapons as they kneeled to the coming of God.


    The battlefield turned silent.

 Chapter III: Onwards To the Fantasia Kingdom

    The goddess turned her head around before her gaze stopped on the dying body of the warrior princess. She slowly walked down the staircase of air: ignoring the hundreds of thousands of eyes that were following her every step. The soldiers felt ashamed at themselves when her beautiful bare-feet touched the corrupted soil of men.


    Then, the raven-haired goddess walked gracefully to the bleeding body of Sephiria and kneeled before her. "I''m sorry."


    "I''m so sorry." The goddess repeated, her voice beautifully looping in their ears. "You must have been so scared."


    "But it''s okay now. Your prayers have been heard." She turned the princess''s body over and grimaced at the sight of her bloody dress. Slowly, the ethereal goddess placed her hands above the princess''s beatless heart and closed her eyes.


    An arc of golden light shone from the goddess''s body, transferring its divine rays onto the wounds of the warrior princess.


    ''Don''t tell me she intends to-?!'' Eric''s temples crumpled as he quickly equipped himself with his sword. He ignored the soft voice in his mind that told him to relax before collecting mana at his legs and springing ahead.


    The goddess, however, only opened one of her inky eyes and stared at Eric.


    ''What?!'' Eric''s body suddenly stopped in mid-air as his body drifted up. And when he reached a certain altitude, his bones were crushed; his heart squeezed, and his veins popped one by one.


    "Argh!" Eric screamed before howling in pain from feeling another one of his veins pop. "Ack! Stop! It hurts!"


    He gritted his teeth and looked horrified when he saw his skin tear, revealing the bulging, blue veins underneath. "Pl-Please, some-ack, someone help me!"


    Yet, his pleas seem to pass by everyone''s ears as they just stared at him with clouds in their eyes.


    "I''ll give, ack, I''ll giwe you whawever you wangt! Please!" The blonde defector begged through the pool of blood that sat in his mouth.


    The results were the same; not a single soldier stirred.


    Eric''s eyes swam around the battlefield in frenzy before it rested on the cowering figure of his best friend. "E-Edgar, my friend! Pwease Hewlp me!" He begged, his face twisting into a spiral.


    Edgar also had the same misty look in his eyes as his mouth gaped like a fish, directly staring at his friend''s mangled body.


    "You! I''ll kwill you! I''ll kwill all of you!" He roared before turning to the cause of his current plight.


    "I''ll fwucking kill you! I''ll rapwe ywur. Fucwk youh, hore!" Eric pointed his shaking finger at the goddess in shock-induced hysteria."I''ll kwill you!"


    In response, the beautiful goddess closed her peeking eye, and then, there was no more noise. Eric''s disfigured body dropped down like a puppet that had its strings cut, yet the battlefield was so quiet that one would even be able to hear a pin drop.


    "Rise." The goddess commanded the dead body of Sephiria. "Rise, brave warrior."


    Sephiria rose up from the goddess''s lap and frantically looked around the battlefield like she had accidentally lost her necklace.


    "Wh-what? Where-? What was I doing?" She grabbed her head and massaged it, trying to alleviate her mind from the sudden attack of nausea. "I died?"


    Sephiria stood up slowly and called for her sword to which it replied with enthusiasm. She then scanned the battlefield and felt confused when she saw the war had stopped, and everyone, including the wounded and injured, was staring at her.


    ''No. They''re staring at something behind me.'' Sephiria noted as she traced the soldier''s line of sight.


    ''What in the high heavens?'' And so, she slowly turned her neck only to meet with a set of generously sized breasts. Swallowing her surprise, Sephiria craned her neck to reach the impossibly beautiful face of a woman.


    As orbs of gold met orbs of obsidian, the taller woman smiled. "Good afternoon, Sephiria."


    The war princess immediately jumped back. She tightened her grip on her sword and pointed it at the smiling woman. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"


    She felt like puking at the colossal amount of energy released from the onyx-haired woman''s body.


    "Who knows? I could be a giant in disguise. I could be a rat. Or, I could simply be a traveler." The goddess replied. She giggled when she saw the princess''s face flush with anger. ''I guess skills aren''t the only thing I''ve carried from Eve.''


    "Teasings aside, I heard your prayers. That''s how I was able to help you from entering Death''s domain." The goddess smiled.


    Sephiria''s body trembled when she heard her words. She sheathed her sword and adopted her cold persona. "I see."


    "Then, as the princess of the Fantasia Kingdom, I apologize for my actions." Sephiria bowed before picking up a word that the woman just said. "You said something about hearing our prayers?"


    The taller woman looked troubled by the question. "I-"


    "Are you a goddess?" Sephiria asked. "Are you a member of the divine race?"


    "No." The taller woman rejected the latter notion firmly. "But, I may be considered a goddess depending on your view."


    "What do you mean?" Sephiria furrowed her eyebrows.


    "I have power if that is the requirement to be considered a goddess. But no, I am not, in official terms, a goddess." The woman replied softly.


    Sephiria looked around her. "Then, were you the one that caused this?" She displayed the hundreds of thousands of soldiers that were currently kneeling with her hands.


    "Yes. I heard the calls for help, so I helped pick out the weeds." The woman nodded when she saw the princess clench her jaws. "Yes, including him too."


    Sephiria relaxed her muscles. "I see."


    "But, I''ve left your uncle intact."


    Sephiria immediately took out her sword and aimed it at her enemy. "Why?" She asked, tightening her grip on her sword. "Are you his ally?"


    Sephiria knew she couldn''t win, but she had to, at the very least, put up a fight.


    The onyx-eyed woman waved her hands. "No, nothing of the sort. I was merely curious to see what you were going to do to him."


    "I see." Sephiria sheathed her sword and installed it on the belt that hanged from her hips. Then, a million thoughts raced through her mind.


    ''How was she simply able to dominate the battlefield of two hundred thousand soldiers just by herself? Where did she come from? Is she a threat to the kingdom? Or at least, turn out to be one in the future?''


    Every time a question formed in her mind, two more popped up with it. Sephiria may not have the answer to all of those questions, but she did know one thing that would happen if she left the powerful goddess alone.


    And she was about to make sure that never happened.


    "Wait." The goddess stopped in her tracks. "You never told me your name?"


    As the words left Sephiria''s mouth, the beautiful woman turned around slowly. The goddess that had just dropped into the Kingdom''s greatest war and ended it without so much as a scratch looked conflicted for a while before displaying a smile that outshone the beauty of dawn.


    "Eve." She whispered. "Call me Eve."


    "Eve." Sephiria rolled the word in her mouth. "It''s a beautiful name."


    She looked up into Eve''s eyes. "Do you want to follow me back to my kingdom?"


    The goddess pondered over the inquiry for a moment before ultimately making her decision. "I would be glad to come visit your kingdom."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The war princess dematerialized her sword and smiled. "Wonderful! Would you like to go now?"


    "Just a moment." Eve turned around and snapped her fingers.


    The soothing, manipulative voice that had been on everyone''s mind suddenly cleared without a trace as they felt their limbs finally respond to their orders. Their bodies quivered as they tried to form words in their mouths but failed.


    "Sorry about that. Shall we continue where we left off?" Eve smiled at the war princess before motioning at her to lead the way.


    The dominance that Eve had just casually exercised upon both her men and the Holy Empire''s soldiers confirmed Sephiria''s fear. Indeed, she may not have any of the answers she desired from the tall box of mysteries in front of her, but she did know one thing.


    And, that was to never, under any circumstances, let this woman out of her sight. Or else, she risks her beloved kingdom destruction in the monster''s temper.


    But she shrewdly hid away her thought and smiled. "Of course. But first."


    Sephiria called for her sword and looked at her trembling army. It was sad that her entire army of 100,000 had been reduced to a pitiful ten thousand, but she would instead take this than absolute defeat any time of the year.


    She raised her blood sword high. "Rejoice!"


    "Rejoice for, through our brethren''s blood and sacrifice; we have made them proud!" Her army started to recover from their fear as they stood up with caution.


    "Rejoice for you have made our beloved queen proud!" Sephiria roared; her men finally gaining back their courage as they raised their sword high and shouted.


    "Rejoice for we have won!" A chorus of roars and whistles was the boisterous response that met the princess''s speech.


    "Runners! Tell the queen of our victory!" Sephiria yelled. "Soldiers! Prepare yourself for a feast tonight and a handsome reward due home!"


    The previous response was exceeded by the current deafening cheers.


    Sephiria sheathed her sword and dematerialized it. Then, she turned to look at tonight''s guest of honor. "Well, then shall we go back to the fort?"


    Eve smiled and followed beside the warrior princess. ''Maybe this world won''t be so bad after all.''


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


    ''Well, the night was.... eventful, to say the least.'' Eve tore open a rift in space as she flicked a wyvern scale inside it. The dimensional pocket roared as it ate the flashing scale and disappeared. ''Seeing as it was my first party.''


    As she stared at one of the wonders of her body, a sudden light broke into her vision. She covered her eyes before following the golden rays and ended up on the scenery beyond the carriage''s window.


    She gawked at the myriad of colored trees to which the magically automated carriage was passing through.


    The world outside the carriage was breathtaking. Mountains of flowers looped continuously in the distance and waved at them with a vibrant smile.


    Bizarre avians with wings the size of towers graced her sight as they flew to the horizon with their little ones trailing behind them. Large cliffs that had been encrusted with dirt were suspended in mid-air as thousands of fantastical beasts feasted on its grass.


    Eve peered downwards. An endless river danced in cursive, stunning the eyes of all that were sentient. Herds of deer that towered above cliffs sat on its banks, enjoying the show with their gargantuan family. From time to time, they lowered their giant spiraling antlers, appreciating such a beautiful display of emotions.


    Eve stuck her hand out to the window, tracing the little multi-colored petals that asked for her autograph. They flashed their smiles as they thanked her for saving them; for keeping all of them. She smiled in return before she diverted her attention to the princess that was currently staring at her like she was an alien.


    She coughed. "Do I have something on my face?"


    Sephiria looked away, ashamed of being caught. "No. I was just thinking of something."


    She glanced at the stunning dress that revealed a decent amount of cleavage, and the crown that hovered above Eve''s head. "Are you sure that you aren''t of the divine race?"


    Eve sighed, caressing her bleached crown. "I''ve told you before. I have no such affiliations with the race."


    Sephiria closed her eyes, reached for the sitting tea on the table before them, and took a sip. ''But the amount of power you''re radiating is the same as them.''


    She felt an arc of Eve''s power lick at her senses before they disappeared. ''No, it might even be a bit more.''


    "Um...is that tea?" Eve said, her stare never leaving the pinkish tint in the porcelain cup.


    "Yes. It''s a herbal tea that helps alleviate any excess pain, soreness, or headaches." Sephiria replied before she looked at her cup, then, Eve and back to her bowl. "Would you like some?"


    Eve''s eyes sparkled. "Can I?!"


    "Of course," Sephiria said, wondering why a goddess was so fascinated with mere tea. Surely, she must have seen a lot more oddities back in heaven, or the other realms the gods amuse themselves with.


    Nevertheless, Sephiria placed her silver cup on the standard tray and prepared another cup of tea for her odd guest. An aurora of herbal aroma wafted inside the carriage as Sephiria''s hands blurred, beautifully crafting the drink like a master brewer.


    The princess felt satisfied with the warm, spiraling, pink liquid before holding it in her hands and gifting it to Eve. "Here you g-"


    Before Sephiria could even finish her words, the fresh tea in her hands had already been stolen by the taller woman. ''For a goddess, she sure doesn''t show any grace.'' Sephiria watched with humor as the graceful goddess that had charmed a hundred thousand soldiers was chugging tea like it was dwarven beer.


    Eve didn''t mind the amused gaze of the princess as she wore a satisfied smile when she finished the drink. "Ah~ That hits the spot~."


    ''My first drink~'' Eve held the cup in her hands and furrowed her eyebrows to see if there was any more. She held the cup upside down and frowned when not a single drop was left.


    "Would you like some more?" Sephiria asked.


    Eve''s features brightened. "You have more?"


    "Certainly. Seeing as there''s none other than the two of us in this carriage, I have enough to last us a week." Sephiria smiled and took the empty cup from Eve''s hand.


    Wiping the green mustache off her face with Orix, Eve''s lithe body bopped with joy, watching with interest at the delicate and beautiful art of making tea. It almost seemed like a magic show, the way Sephiria''s hands moved with both speed and accuracy. And by the time she was done, not a single drop of tea spilled onto the ceramic saucer.


    Eve applauded. "Where did you learn the craft?" She accepted the green tea with grateful hands. "Thank you."


    Sephiria looked distant, leaning her head on the carriage window. "My father introduced me to the art."


    Eve felt a change in atmosphere, the mood turning grim. "I see. If you could make such good tea from his guidance, he must be a pretty good teacher."


    "Of course. He was the best at the art after all." Sephiria said. "He always bragged about it whenever he could. Though he still lost to mother in the end."


    Sephiria laughed. "I remember him being sulky about it and holding the grudge against mother for months. One day, he challenged mother again and he felt so happy when he won even though mother let him win. There was this one-"


    She realized the smile hanging on Eve''s lips as she stopped. Her cheeks turned red. "Sorry. I was rambling, wasn''t I?"


    "No, no. Not at all." Eve said. "It sounds like you have a very loving family."


    Sephiria''s smile turned upside down. The atmosphere felt heavy again. "It used to be."


    The carriage was silent for a while as Eve held her tongue in respect of the princess''s privacy. ''Great. Excellent job, Eve. You managed to darken the mood again.''


    Luckily, after a while, Sephiria''s features turned lighter. "Oh yes. I almost forgot to mention this. It would seem that there''s a ball hosted by my mother in honor of our victory."


    "It''ll feature all of the most influential figures in our kingdom and apparently, the adventurer monarchs are participating this time too," Sephiria said. "And, you''ve been invited as the guest of honor."


    Eve''s body froze in time. "Sorry. I didn''t quite hear what you just said, princess."


    Sephiria slowly repeated her words. "Uh... there''s a ball. And you''re the guest of honor."


    ''So, my ears weren''t playing tricks on me.'' Eve smiled wryly. "Right. And when is this ball?"


    "It''ll be two moons after today, on the night of the celestial sisters'' embrace," Sephiria stated, unmindful of the fact that she had just dropped a bomb on Eve.


    "And why am I invited as the guest of honor?" Eve asked calmly, hiding the panic sitting in her stomach.


    "Why not?" Sephiria gazed into the stars hidden behind the taller woman''s eyes. "You single-handedly stopped what could have been the greatest disaster in Fantasian history."


    "I see no mistake in my mother''s decision. Why, is there something not to your liking?" Sephiria questioned worriedly as she looked at the frown on Eve''s ruby red lips.


    ''Like hell it is. The complications behind the invitation is the problem.'' Eve scratched her neck. "No, no. There''s no problem at all. I simply don''t think such an honor is deserving of me. All I did was finish what you started after all."


    ''This is a first. I didn''t know that members of the divine race could be humble.'' Sephiria was surprised. ''I guess the stories and myths were wrong. Or is it just her?''


    "I understand your concerns. Even I don''t want to attend the troublesome thing myself." Sephira started, "But unfortunately, it would be of the highest disrespect and shame to my mother if we didn''t show up."


    ''Of course. She just had to pull the guilt card.'' Eve sighed. "I see. In that case, I have no choice but to show decency befitting of the guest of honor."


    "Wonderful! Please remember that the ball is due on the night of the celestial embrace." Sephiria stated dutifully and handed her a badge.


    Eve held it in her hand and studied it. The badge was of palm-size, with the insignia of a golden tree that glinted for a moment. Other than that, she couldn''t feel anything special with the emblem.


    "That badge allows you to pass through the borders and barriers of my kingdom without any complications," Sephiria said. "And at any time too so please don''t lose it."


    Eve twirled the badge in her hand and marveled at the smooth metallic texture. She turned to the princess and was about to thank her before she noticed the princess''s body twitching. "Is there something wrong?"


    Sephiria felt a shiver run through her spine as a small fraction of Eve''s power slip through her barrier. "I''ve been meaning to tell you this for a while now but can you please lower down your magical pressure?"


    "What magical pressure?" Eve asked, scanning her eyes around in confusion.


    "The colossal, unending waves of energy that''s being released from your body right now. Wait don''t tell me," Sephiria murmured. "You don''t know of it?"


    Her question was answered by the dumb-founded look on Eve''s face. ''What in Terra''s name...? It was unintentional this whole time?''


    "What you mean? Wait. If what you say is true, then why haven''t you already fainted from the pressure?" Eve jabbed a finger at the princess. ''Besides, I thought I wielded Orix, not mana?''


    Sephiria reached into her breastplate and took out her necklace. "This [Amulet Of Indifference] grants me the ability to ignore any psychological ailments."


    ''Yet, your power was strong enough to make a crack and slip through it.'' Sephiria thought, clenching her fist as another small fraction of roaring power snaked around her body. (How did she know there was a crack? Unless it''s a metaphor, in which case a different metaphor should be used.)


    Eve nodded. "I see. Sorry about it. I''ll kill my aura right now."


    And just as she said, the immense amount of power disappeared from the carriage as Sephiria sighed in relief. The princess checked her necklace and was shocked to see a crack on the crystal.


    "When do you think we will be arriving in the Fantasia Kingdom?" Eve asked, bringing the princess out of her thoughts.


    "We should be arriving very soon but-" Sephiria stopped midway. A whisper played in her left ear.


    "Let me correct myself." She smiled widely before a flash of light pierced through the carriage''s window.


    "Welcome to the Kingdom of Fantasia."

 Chapter IV: An Angel of Love?

    Eve stared outside the carriage and fell into shock, her jaws dropping until it reached the floor. ''Woah. .''


    The Kingdom of Fantasia was simply awe-inspiring. Standing on top of a fat, flat hill, the silver kingdom oversaw a range of snow-capped mountains. It stood tall and majestic, expanding its many reaches into the horizon, telling the world of its power and regality. Arrogant towers attempted to pierce the heavens as the azure eyes of god watched in amusement on the futile attempts of mortals.


    Eve heard a loud and clear whistle that brought her mind to the great deep. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she saw the laws of science breaking before her eyes. Giant whales that were crowned with resplendent halos lazily swam through the sky, above the kingdom, as they sang a deep song that made Eve drowsy.


    And for the final splash of color onto the canvas of human intelligence and wisdom, nature was added. Bright green filled Eve''s eyes; a luscious carpet of grass spread out before the kingdom with various trees that had been molded into knights, dragons, and the many fantastical beasts that roamed the world.


    Suddenly, a mysterious need to explore made Eve''s body thirst for adventure. Her heart pounded against her chest as her mind commanded the circulation of Orix to her body. The familiar rush of adrenaline that came with wielding Orix raced through her veins to reach the ending at the crown above her head.


    A bright flash of golden light flashed throughout the carriage, blinding both Eve and the princess to which Sephiria reacted by calling for her beloved sword and gripping the metallic handle of [Bloodfell].


    ''An enemy attack?!'' She wanted to slash at the air to cut at the enemy but stopped as her eyes turned to Eve. She could not act too reckless in such a tight area.


    As color returned to her eyes, most of her worries were put to rest when she regained her vision.


    After she blinked a few more times and fluttered her eyes opened, the cold hands of shock grasped her heart. She unconsciously released her grip on her sword. ''What the... My lords.''


    She saw Eve''s true nature.


    The sickly crown that just lazily floated above Eve''s head was now glowing a healthy gold, sending waves of raw power that made the air groan and shiver. An aureate lotus formed out of nowhere as it etched itself on the middle of her forehead. A black, winged cape materialized and writhed across Eve''s supple body that was highlighted by her midnight war-dress.


    But that wasn''t what shocked her. Sephiria winced as she could see the literal air howl and bend around the woman in subservience. Her necklace was trembling against her chest, trying to hold out against the waves of power that hit against her like a wind god''s hammer.


    Eve, however, was oblivious to the chills she sent down the princess''s spine as a single thought dominated her mind.


    ''I need to go there. Now. Alone.''


    And so, to the princess''s surprise, Eve opened the embezzled door of the carriage. "Something came up. I''ll see you later, princess."


    "Wha-" But, Sephiria couldn''t finish her question as Eve jumped out of the carriage and zoomed through the air, heading towards her kingdom with speeds that were unheard of.


    ''Well...I''ll just let her be. She already has the royal badge so she''ll be fine. Besides,'' Sephiria bit her fingernails. ''It''s not like I can catch up to her anyway.''


    "My mother awaits my report too." The princess sighed before looking back at the speck on the horizon. "I just hope she doesn''t forget the ball tomorrow night."


    And, then the carriage was silent as it rode through one of the extensive bridges of the Fantasia Kingdom.


    ____________________________________________________________If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Meanwhile, Eve flew past the small hills that littered the plains with a queasy mind. ''What is this? It feels like a rock''s sitting in my stomach. Why is this body suddenly attracted to the kingdom?''


    Meanwhile, Eve flew past the small hills that littered the plains with a queasy mind. ''What is this? It feels like a rock''s sitting in my stomach. Why is this body suddenly attracted to the kingdom?''


    She ignored the sky whales that groaned in annoyance at the gales of wind that followed her speed as she massaged her head. ''Perhaps, there''s something inside that''s attracting it?''


    ''But that would mean that Eve, the past Eve, has visited this place before.'' Eve frowned, imagining the dilemmas the theory would cause if it were true. ''Or is it just a simple attraction?''


    "I don''t know, but I''ll have to find out." She picked up her speed and soon arrived in front of the Kingdom of Fantasia.


    And that was when she realized the magnitude and scale that the word; "Kingdom" held.


    Now that she was floating in front of it and the kingdom was right up her face, she realized how big the kingdom actually was.


    As she stared at the kingdom, she noted that it had been cut into a total of four centers of livelihood by a long, flowing river like a pie that had been chopped into quarters.


    Eve could see the bustling streets, the carriages that drove past the busy roadside stalls, the diligent messengers that rode griffins, the houses that had been built through a fusion of science and magic. And finally, as the sun highlighted all of the kingdom''s faces, a sense of home wriggled inside Eve''s heart.


    "So I was right," Eve said, somehow feeling happy and excited at being in such close proximity with the kingdom. "This body has been here before. And depending on this body''s reaction, it certainly didn''t just stay here for fun."


    Eve leaned forward. "Well, it''s not like I''ll find out the answers if I just stay here."


    "Off I go then." She flew forward before hitting an invisible wall as she tried to enter the kingdom. "What the hell?"


    Her hands slowly reached for the bubble barrier and was surprised to see it stretch as she sunk her entire hands in. She retracted her hands and tried to rush through it but failed as her kinetic energy pushed her back out.


    She repeated the process several times before an idea popped in her head.


    Eve took out her badge and stared at it. "This badge will allow you to pass through the barriers of the Fantasia Kingdom, huh?"


    She then held the badge firmly and tried pressing it against the bubble barrier. And just as she suspected, a small little hole opened up, just enough for her hand to pass through.


    She retracted her hands, ignoring the barrier that was quickly reforming itself. ''Maybe If I do this...'' She stuck the badge on her chest. Then, she tried touching the barrier as the barrier slowly gaped to the size of a human.


    ''It worked!'' Eve pumped a mental fist in her mind. She floated inside the human-sized hole and relished at the boisterous sounds of a successful society. She felt at home, the need to go somewhere inside this kingdom now roaring in her heart.


    She was close, she could feel it.


    But before that, she had to get down or else she might attract too much attention.


    Eve looked around the kingdom, trying to search for a place to descend. It appeared as if she had arrived at the bottom right quarter of the 4 centers. As usual, the streets of the 4th quarter were packed to the brim with traveling merchants, vendors and most importantly, magicians.


    Luckily, there was an emptier street, with just a few hundreds of inhabitants that was just around a few meters from where she hovered.


    Wasting no time, Eve flew towards the idle street and descended on it. A pang of confusion hit her mind as its residents seemed to pause in time and stared at her with an odd look in their eyes. ''Why are they staring at me?''


    ''Do I smell or something?'' She sniffed her shoulders and felt relieved when no bad odor entered her nose. In fact, she oddly smelled like fresh daisy and roses.


    She ignored the looks and was about to walk when she felt the nagging sensation suddenly increase to its peak. She held her chest but looked down when she felt a tug at her stygian dress.


    It was a little girl, no more than nine, decorated with cute scarlet pigtails for her hair that had been dirtied from mud and dirt. She wore a torn dress for her clothes, no, the state of her clothes looked far worse. It looked more like a rag that had its tips nibbled by rats. Yet, as Eve''s eyes landed on the little girl''s face, she knew the girl would grow up to be quite the beauty.


    Her milky white face that had been adorned with large, dewy eyes that held the purest sky, a pixie''s nose, and delicate lips all trembled with emotions Eve could not decipher as the little girl looked up at her.


    Eve felt pity, shock, and most importantly, anger as she looked at the state of the little girl. Eve immediately held the emotions back as she felt the nagging sensation disappear entirely from her mind. ''Woah, what was that? I barely know the girl and I feel like I could have killed for the kid.''


    "Miss, you''re so pretty~" The little girl''s eyes sparkled with childlike innocence as she looked up at the otherworldly beautiful woman that caught the entire street''s attention.


    Eve''s heart throbbed with unknown maternal instincts as she smiled gently at the little girl. She crouched and carried the little girl in her arms. "Thank you, little lady. What''s your name?"


    The tattered beauty smiled widely, proudly showing off her pearly white teeth. "Aela! It means Angel of Love!"

 Chapter V: The Library Of Solomon

    "I see."


    "Well then Aela, what are you doing out alone?" Eve pinched the chubby, dirty little cheeks of Aela. "Surely, such a cute little girl like you shouldn''t be alone out in the streets. Do you know where your mother is?"


    Aela looked down and kept her tiny hands off of the older woman. "I don''t know where mommy is."


    "I think mommy left me because I''m a bad girl." Drops of tears landed on Eve''s chest.


    ''Wait, stop! Ahh, great. The princess wasn''t enough, you just have to make a little kid cry too!'' Eve panicked at the sight of tears and ran through every possible way to stop the adorable kid from crying.


    Eve wiped the innocent little kid''s tears and tried to soothe her. "Do-Don''t cry! Maybe your mommy''s just a little lost right now!"


    "Th-that''s right! How about this? You can stay with me before your mommy''s here. And we''ll find her together!" Eve said.


    That seemed to stop the rivers of tears as Aela looked up with puppy dog eyes. "Really?"


    ''Ah! Those eyes~'' Eve hid the maternal instinct raging within her body as she smiled gently. "Of course. Cross my heart." Her index and middle finger intertwined, resembling a heart as Eve held the symbol in the air.


    Aela tilted her head. "What''s that?"


    ''Eh, she doesn''t know what it means?'' Eve thought confused. ''Wait a minute How do I even know of this?''


    Eve had enough experience to know not to climb down that rabbit hole so she focused on the little girl. "Anyway, please stop crying. After all, beautiful girls don''t deserve to cry. Okay?"


    "...Okay!" Aela thanked her as she jumped down from Eve''s embrace and grabbed her hands before grinning at the older woman. "So where are we going now, miss?"


    Eve patted the little girl''s dusty mop of red. "You can call me Eve, Aela."


    Aela tilted her head to the side when she heard that name. "E-Vu?"


    Eve almost gushed at the deadly adorable creature in front of her but, kept her urges before correcting the little girl. "Not E-Vu. E-ve."


    "Ev-e. E-ve." Aela tested the name in her tongue before beaming a smile. "Eve!"


    "Yup. Eve. Call me that from now on okay, Aela?" Eve told her, reflecting the little girl''s smile.


    "I understand Eve." She said like an obedient, little girl. "Then, I''ll be in your care from now, Eve!"


    Eve patted the girl''s crimson head and carried her up to her arms. "Of course, Aela. You can depend on me all you want."


    The heart-warming scene melted every one of the onlooker''s hearts as the men instantly fell in love with the gorgeous woman from the sky.


    It didn''t matter if they had a girlfriend, a wife or in any form of relationship, as all of them imagined themselves being surrounded by the beautiful children they would have with the mysterious woman.


    Blinded by love, they immediately charged at Eve with hearts in their eyes.


    "Please my beautiful lady, bear my children!" A tall dark man wearing fancy, colorful clothes bent the knee as he took out a frosted, expensive-looking ring.


    Another man but with lighter features carrying a gourmet of roses pleaded with desire. "I beg of you. Since my eyes have laid upon your beautiful figure, I have fallen in love with you. Marry me, my mademoiselle."


    "Screw all of you, she''s mine!" A man with rough, but handsome features cursed at the suitors that were going after his woman.


    " "PLEASE MARRY ME!" " A chorus of proposals rang out as the street was filled with men bending their knees and asking for the hand of Eve.


    ''Wh-What the hell?'' Eve thought, absolutely bewildered at the sight of a hundred men proposing to her. She thought back over to when they looked at her like a pair of love-sick puppies when she descended onto the place. ''Don''t tell me they were looking at me because of that?!''


    Eve felt like pulling at her hair. ''I can''t deal with this right now for god''s sake! I-Aela?''


    She felt Aela nuzzle deeper into her bosom and could feel the poor girl trembling like she had just seen death. Eve ignored the crowd of Cupid''s victims as she asked, "Is there something wrong, Aela?"


    Aela shivered one more time and stuttered, "It-It''s just, I don''t like it when there''s a lot of people."


    Eve held the little girl tighter. That was all she needed to hear to get out of here. Her crown shone, lighting up the entire dull, street before the embrace of wind that breathed lightning danced around her. She didn''t know where she wanted to go but it would be fine as long as it wasn''t here.


    "Hold on tight, Aela." With but a thought, her winged cape wrapped itself around the little girl like a protective mother and glared at the people that scared its baby girl.


    Aela pressed herself against the comfort of Eve''s bosom when she felt a warm feeling wash over her body like a summer breeze.


    Yet, as she nudged herself in further, she smelt something sweet like the mountain flowers that decorated the gardens of her old home.


    Aela looked up into Eve''s glowing red eyes. She was surprised at the change of color, wondering about the many other mysteries the older woman held.


    "Eve... Eek!" She yelped when a sudden breath of wind blew across her face.


    The hundreds of men watched on as the love of their life slipped through their fingertips and escaped back into the heavens. The men, much to their chagrin, felt rejected and frustrated at how close yet so far they were to their dream lives. The women, however, looked ready to kill their unreliable partners.


    .............................................................................................


    Meanwhile, Aela had grown out of her shell of fear and giggled with the wind. "Do that flip again, do that flip again!" Aela did a superman pose as Eve spun around in circles.


    Eve patted the little girl''s head as her body was on auto-pilot. She mentally scrolled through the list of abilities her body could perform, trying to see if anyone of them would be useful in reuniting Aela with her mother.


    She stopped.


    ''I hope this works.'' Eve stopped flying and focused. The sleeping lotus on Eve''s forehead tingled with joy as she showered it with affection.


    ''Come on.'' Eve continued channeling Orix into the lotus as she bit her lower lip in vexation. ''Work.''


    On the other hand, Aela gazed at Eve with marvel in her eyes and observed the beautiful lotus bloom with a golden glow on the older woman''s forehead. She wanted to try touching it but decided against it in fear of Eve''s ire.


    "So this is how it feels to enter the realm of emotions." A misty haze flashed past Eve''s eyes. "Everything''s so... alive."


    Eve was used to seeing things with a god-like vision but this time, she saw the world from an entirely new perspective. She now truly understood the value of life.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ''The meaning of life is what we choose to be.'' Eve''s eyes sparkled with comprehension as she looked at the flash of colors.


    Each person had a distinct flame that defined them, be it black, red, purple, pink or white. They flared at their intensity, but no one was better than the other. The colors shared tinges of each other, and it was easy to see that each family had a general color that they branched out from.


    "Eve?" Aela placed the backside of her palm against Eve''s forehead. "Are you okay?"


    Eve''s attention switched from the multitude of colors swimming through her vision to the little bundle of joy in her arms. ''Scratch that. This is a huge bundle of joy.''


    Eve stared in shock at the roaring flame of crimson red just centimeters apart from her face. ''This girl...It seems she has a pretty extensive background.''


    However, even if the flame was exploding at her, she noticed that it was being held back by something. Someone had placed a seal on the girl; a seal that was strong enough to hold back the large spiritual energy.


    Eve knew it couldn''t be the girl for obvious reasons. ''Maybe, it''s her mother? But why would she put a seal on the girl and just leave her in the middle of the streets? And seeing the way Aela''s dressed, I''d bet it''s, at least a couple of weeks since she''s been abandoned.''


    Eve focused back to the matter at hand. She tried to find another crimson red flame under her, more specifically, a flustered flame but sighed when her search didn''t bear any fruit. ''Wait a minute...''


    "Aela. I forgot to ask you this since I was caught in the heat of the moment but," Eve scratched her ear. "Who did you say your mother was again?"


    Aela''s eyes threatened to spill. "Mom-Mommy?"


    ''Ah, crap.'' The cold snake slithered across Eve''s back as she tried to calm the girl down again. "Um, Look-Your favorite trick!"


    For some reason, it hurt her heart whenever she saw the little kid cry. She held the kid protectively in her grasp and spun around in loops across the sky.


    "Whee~" Aela giggled, dismissing the rivers of tears that sat at her banks. "More-More!"


    ''I guess asking her isn''t a viable option then.'' Eve smiled wryly. ''Well, at least I got myself a cute kid for a while.''


    As Eve flew through the sea of colors that glittered beneath her, the annoying voice in the back of her mind returned as she flew above something that looked like a central park. So, she stopped flying and unconsciously descended onto the grassy land.


    She felt a call for her, for Joan.


    When Eve was just a few centimeters away from the ground, Aela jumped off the older woman''s embrace and landed on the grassy field.


    But before she could run around the field, Eve stopped her. "Hold on a minute, little one. What''s the rush?"


    "I remember this place!" Aela replied with enthusiasm. "Mommy took me here to play around! There''s also a very nice library in there!"


    Eve looked at the direction of her extended finger and had to crane her neck up.


    ''A tower? No,'' She saw a huge amount of mana concentrated in the tower and had to squint her eyes when it shone brighter each second. ''Something with this amount of mana gathered in it can''t just be some ordinary tower. Wait. Aela said it was a library?''


    ''I can''t see much like this.'' Eve channeled Orix into her eyes, the action causing her lotus to sleep again. She stared at the tower in the distance and as her view zoomed in, her mouth gaped.


    ''What type of library floats on freaking air?!'' The library was of a slender, triangular shape with a sharp peak that pierced the sky. The long-legged tower in front of her levitated in mid-air, detached from the ground like some sort of mystical guru. The library wore metal and adorned itself with giant crystals that gleamed every minute. Its thin body rotated horizontally like gears every time she blinked her eyes.


    Eve calmed herself down mentally. ''Why do I keep on forgetting the fact that I''m in a magical world? I need to stop getting surprised at every single little thing. It''s bad for my heart.''


    ''Anyway, my body''s reacting to it.'' She stared at the hanging tower of magic as the nagging sensation came back with revenge. ''Should I follow it?''


    Eve lifted her legs before placing them back down. She was hesitating.


    Even though she had sworn to regain her memories, she still hesitated.


    Why?


    ''I''m scared.'' Eve bit her lip in frustration. ''I''m scared that if I find out all of this body''s secrets, I''ll lose more of myself in the process.''


    ''There''s so many mysteries, so many secrets surrounding me. I don''t even know who I am. What if, by acting more like Eve, I lost the small grasp I had at knowing my true identity?'' Eve thought with a frown. ''After all, this is a world of magic and possibilities. I wouldn''t put it behind this world for something stupid to happen that will cause my memory to blank out.''


    "No, I can''t afford to wimp out now. I have already created a path for myself the moment I took Eve''s name." She took Aela''s hand and walked forward. "It''s too late to change my fate now."


    Aela, on the other hand, hopped in excitement, happy that she could finally revisit the library that she had always frequented with her mother. She thanked Eve secretly in her heart, wondering how lucky and fateful she was to meet the older woman.


    The next few minutes were spent with Eve and Aela playing tag, hide and seek, and all the little fun games that Eve devised in the middle of the walk with young nature. And as they eventually arrived before the tower on a small, grassy cliff, Eve finally realized how big the tower was.


    ''Is it just me or does this world''s crafters have a fetish for anything big?'' Eve asked herself sarcastically, seeing that the tower had no end in sight. "This.... library sure is big, huh Aela?"


    She was met with deafening silence. "Aela?" She called out again.


    "Over here!" Aela dragged out the letter ''e'' as Eve spotted her below the cliff. She studied the metallic pedestal that the energetic girl was standing on.


    Ancient runes that she had never seen of, slid in circles, coiling around itself before it reached a large crystal that floated in the middle of the runes. As she slowly levitated downwards and entered the area beneath the tower, she realized that the sun''s guidance had ended.


    Eve almost slipped and fell when she touched the metallic floor. She looked down and noticed that the width of the runes was equivalent to the size of her arm. She brought her attention to the circular flat, slab of metal beneath her feet and tapped it, an empty ring vibrating around continuously underneath the tower.


    ''These runes. I can feel traces of a pure energy similar to my Orix in it.'' She crouched and touched the cold runes, expecting it to glow but frowned when it didn''t.


    "That''s not how you enter the library, silly." Aela giggled, watching in humor at the disappointed look on Eve''s face.


    "Enter the library?" Eve stared at the little girl. "Well. Do you know how to get in?"


    Aela nodded so fast that Eve wondered if her head was gonna break off. "Yup! I know how to get inside! Mommy showed me after all."


    "But mommy told me not to let anyone know," Aela muttered, frowning.


    "I see," Eve said. "But you know, the only way to find your mother is by going inside."


    "I believe your mother will understand if you told me the secret to find her," Eve said. "In fact, I think she''ll even be happier that you''re such a smart girl."


    Aela thought over what her kind caretaker had told her. She looked at the gentle, smiling face of the older woman. ''Eve doesn''t look like a bad person. She''s been helping me the entire day when no one even wanted to touch me. I also think mommy will understand if I told the secret to help her!''


    Justifying her actions, Aela pulled on Eve''s starry dress and looked up. "I understand. I''ll show you the way then."


    "That''s wonderful, Aela! You''re such a smart girl!" Eve congratulated the little girl.


    Aela giggled when she felt the gentle pat on her head before pulling on Eve''s hand to follow her. "You see, mommy told me once that only someone of Aela''s family could open the door to this library!"


    "And that only infl-influence-influential people-Hik!" Aela bit her tongue and crouched in pain.


    "Let me see that, little one." Eve touched her forehead with Aela''s and chanted. "Pain, pain go away~"


    And, To Aela''s surprise, her lips glowed for a moment before the pain vanished like it was never there. "Wow! Eve, how did you that?"


    Eve tittered and wiped a smudge on Aela''s face. "Orix. The purest energy that is the cause of many wonders and phenomenons."


    "Peh, Fee-no-mon-mons?" Aela tried to replicate the older woman''s words but failed in frustration. "Will I be able to use it too?!"


    Her forehead was flicked gently by a delicate finger. "Maybe. But only if you still remember me when you become a big girl."


    "I''ll remember Eve!" Aela yelled out suddenly, determination swiftly growing in her big, blue eyes. "Eve has treated me with kindness, and care after all! I will definitely remember Eve!"


    For a moment, Eve could see a shadow behind the little girl, an adult version of Aela smiling at her and saying, See? I never forgot you.


    "All right, all right. Let''s not jump too far into the future and focus on getting you back to your mother for now okay?" Eve said.


    "Yay!" Aela laughed before running around the metallic pedestal. "We''re gonna have lots of fun in this library!"


    ''Kids.'' Eve shook her head and followed the trails of the little girl.


    They eventually arrived before the large crystal in the center of the runes, rotating slowly like the world.


    "Place your hands like this." Aela crossed Eve''s hands before placing them on the glowing crystal.


    ''It''s oddly warm.'' Eve noted as the crystal glowered, its light piercing through her hands.


    "And then you just wish super hard to enter." She placed her hands, both crossed, over Eve and closed her eyes.


    ''Wish?'' Eve thought, befuddled but still listened to the little girl anyway. She closed her eyes and made her wish. ''I want to enter.'' She let the wish drift apart from her mind and imprint itself on the crystal.


    After that, she simply waited.


    It wasn''t long until she felt the crystal vibrate before she felt a small trace of Orix leave her body and entering the crystal. "Don''t be scared... Mommy told me there is nothing to be scared of."


    Eve pressed her hands further against the crystal. "Sorry. It surprised me."


    "Quick. Tell it that you want to enter again." Aela said urgently.


    Eve felt the crystal slowly dying in her hands so she prayed again. ''Let me in.''


    The crystal seemed to hear their thoughts as it suddenly rotated quickly before slowly ascending towards the butt of the tower. It buzzed and hummed gloomily before displaying a multitude of colors, illuminating the previously dark room.


    Soon after the light show ended, Eve and Aela had disappeared from their spots, nowhere to be seen. The crystal stopped rotating and returned to its original position and slept.


    Not a trace of the previous grandeur was left.