We Are Taking Down the Goddess

Awakening

A multitude of dark clouds darkened the sky. Soon, a thick veil of black fog descended upon Hanami village. Then, the sky opened. A massive crack ripped through the heavens causing the vast universe to peek through. The wider it became, the easier it was to see countless stars and planets scattered across the galaxy.

-        “A Breach!” – Kana declared.

-        “Here?!” – Yakeru was shocked.

-        “They found her.”

-        “Pfft…Hahaha!” – Yakeru burst out laughing. “I’ll fuck them up so bad, their wrinkled ugly skin will strengthen.”

Just when the crack gaped, another one formed right next to it. And then another, and another, until the entire wild blue yonder tore wide under the pressure. One Breach was all it took to erase Wolfmore from the world. Now, with over a dozen cracks looming, it brought a sense of doom among those living nearby.

-        “Damn… They are pissed. What did you do, woman?” - Yakeru whistled, then felt his lips stretch into a gaping grin, his eyebrows arched for the sky.

-        “I killed a red one.”

-        “Well, you always know how to spice things up. You don’t disappoint.”

-        “Mhm.”

While the two were enjoying a careless and comfortable chatter, Ren stared at the cosmos in pure horror. His eyes showed a perfect reflection of how he felt inside. It was like every neuron of his brain caught on fire, and paralyzed his limbs. The nymphs were equally terrified. They quickly made their way towards the bridge and ran as fast as they could. Soon, their figures disappeared into a mysterious fog that seemingly appeared just to take them away. 

-        “They tracked Aiko down. If we don’t take care of them here, they are going after her.” – Kana added.

Hearing that name, helped Ren regain his senses. The pup shook it off and focused all his mana into his tiny body. In a couple of seconds, his soft little paws morphed into fearsome claws. His fangs regained their sharp edge and his eyes restored his former menacing glow.

-        “Let me help.”

-        “Be careful, Ren. These creatures are not to be trifled with.”

-        “I’ve had my fair share of fights. I can handle it.”

-        “Just don’t die on me.” – Yakeru chuckled. “I don’t want to waste my time getting that nervous wreck back together. Only one more mess and that kid is going mental.”

-        “Aiko is not like that! And don’t worry about me. I can carry my own weight.”

-        “Then, of course, you can join us. Just stand by my side. Understood?”

-        “Yes, lady Kana.”

♣

Beyond the material realm, time moved at a slower pace. At the start of the bridge, surrounded by nothing, but the water she felt wrapping around her feet, Aiko found herself standing in a puddle. Her eyes felt heavy. Her ears adapting to odd, yet quiet surroundings. The only thing that reverberated in her mind were the droplets of moisture, carefully, but surely stealing her attention. Controlling her senses. 

If she were at any other place or point in time, her emotions would drive her mad. Maybe the pup needed her. Maybe, he couldn’t wait for her return, so he traced her steps. At times like these, she would always lose herself in that inner storm. The girl would surely try to come up with an escape plan. Anything that could get her back to Kana and Ren. That pressure would force her into a corner, blocking her from taking the next step.

But not now. Not here. This place was different. As if something or someone was controlling that wheel, making her feel like a stranger in her own body. In a last attempt to make sure she was sane, the girl raised her hands and pinched her skin. No pain. No redness. Nothing.

-        “What’s happening?”

Suddenly, the girl was invited into a dark place. Beyond her were walls of people – a faceless audience creating a vast, unending dwelling. Their bodies, lips, and ears were their only distinguishable features. Then, the girl faced the floor. Beneath the millions of souls standing on the water road, there were people trapped under. Scratching, hitting, and punching the surface. Hoping to get out. But, their voices never reached the young girl. As if those persistent cries kept getting lost in the void.

Aiko could read their lips and understand almost every word they were saying. Many of the trapped women would take their newborns and desperately push them into the bridge. Their tiny faces would get smushed between Aiko’s realm and the world below.

-        “Please! Save my baby! Take it! Take my baby!”

For what felt like a dream, now became a cruel reality. It brought forth a rude awakening. The women’s hands dripped in blood. Their legs chained to the ground. Although they couldn’t escape the shackles that bruised their ankles for so long, and couldn’t treat their bleeding knees or open wounds, they acted like there was nothing holding them back. They hid that burning pain very well. Their only focus was the small creatures they held in their arms, holding onto dear life.

Desperate to save them, Aiko reached for the watery floor. But, the moment her skin touched the barrier, she felt a strong power pushing her back. It was impossible to get through. That strange almost invisible surface was sturdier than she expected. Then, she stood up and placed her lips closer to the magical blockade.

-        “I can’t. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

In that very moment when she sensed their cries, something else pierced her heart. It was hatred and disgust, embedded in the very fiber of their being. When Aiko took a good look at the men pushing through the crowd, she saw broken souls. Their faceless features soaked in a black embrace.

-        “Kill it!”

-        “Kill it!”

-        “Kill it!”

Yet, again, the girl couldn’t hear a peep. But, those lips painted a perfect picture. The men were out for blood. Their aura turned dark. At first, Aiko thought their hatred was targeted towards her, but then she saw a different story. It was the babies they were after. A dreadful mob came to take those vulnerable innocent souls that have done nothing to deserve this spitefulness. The mothers begged for mercy as the men scratched and broke their fingers apart.

But, as soon as those babies landed in the hands of the mob, their bodies, stretched and morphed, to a point where they no longer looked human. Their massive muscular bodies were proof that they could now overcome any adversity. Soon, the men were weeping at their feet. Begging these beasts to spare their life. But, hope never came and they all met a grisly end. The tables had turned in an instant, leaving Aiko speechless.

-        “Ah…I see.” – she sighed. Her face turned dreary. “I guess this is how it used to be, back then. The war created this. It made them into this.”

Then, the girl was somewhere else. She reappeared in different, more peculiar surroundings. She was standing in the middle of an extraordinary building. The ceiling was doomed higher than any mansion or watchtower she has ever seen and adorned with gorgeous glass. She could never have imagined that glass could be used this way. The walkways were full of people, dressed in outfits foreign to the land of Elidy. The floor shining like the surface of the river at midday. Loud music played in the background as the melody took the shopper’s worries away. The place felt somewhat hectic but full of vigor, energy, and laughter. The entire building almost created a sensory overload for the young girl. She couldn’t fathom being in a place so advanced.

-        “Where am I?”

Soon the scenery changed once more. The world shattered around her. The bridge turned into fragments. As if someone took a mirror and broke it into a million pieces. Aiko bit her lip, eyes locked into these pieces. Every single one of them carried a unique image. It was impossible to focus on all of them at once. So, she paid attention to the closest ones.

She took a glimpse at one of the shards. She saw a hideout, a cave maybe…somewhere deep in a forest. As soon as that piece broke, the girl turned her gaze at a different particle. This one depicted diverse scenery. She saw the hand of a woman lying on the floor. She had passed on. There was something familiar about her. But, Aiko couldn’t quite put her finger on it. All she knew was that aura. It brought her pain.

Then, came a different shard. A city grew in these glass-like petals. A massive city built around a great divide. All of a sudden, the fragments turned into splinters, scattering across the endless void. That’s when Aiko found herself standing in the middle of an empty space. That darkness became a soft of black velvets, illuminated by eight planets.

Aiko has never seen a galaxy. She has never seen so many stars swirling in the dark night. To her, it was a completely different notion of reality. The girl had no idea how to react. She just stood there, observing the cosmos.

Shortly, one of the planets burned to crisp. As time went on, another world perished. The girl was mortified.

-        “Tell me. What do you see?”

A voice emerged. Aiko couldn’t quite figure out where it came from, but it was the first actual human voice she heard ever since setting foot in this odd place.

-        “Who’s there?”

-        “Which one do you think is our world?”

-        “What do you mean?!” – Aiko mumbled. “Who are you?!”

The image in the cosmos focused on planet Earth, a world that stood right between those globes that burned. The closer it got, the easier it was to see. This massive sphere was inhabited by billions. Their streets and buildings foreign to the world of Elidy. Then, the image traveled to the neighboring planets, fixating at those scarlet lands.

-        “Neither.”

The voice answered. The moment it finished that sentence, a magical barrier evaporated not far from Earth, revealing a hidden world. This new place stood right next to Earth’s moon. No wonder why everyone in Elidy could see a small planet nearby, besides the sun that brightened their sky.

-        “This is our home.” – the voice explained. “Tell me, Aiko. Do you have what it takes to protect this world?”

-        “Of course I don’t!” – the girl answered with haste.

-        “Then, what are you doing here?”

-        “To get my power! Change the past and give everyone a fighting chance!”

-        “Should you really care about the past?”

-        “What do you mean? Of course, I should.”

-        “Why?”

-        “To change the present.”

-         “Why?”

-        “To bring peace to Elidy!”

-        “Peace? There is already peace. This world has lived in peace for almost 10,000 years.”

-        “How can you say that when people suffer! There is so much wrong in this world! I must change it!”

-        “Wrong? For whom?”

-        “For all those slaves who deserve a better life. I must put an end to this nonsense. For my friends…they believe in me!”

-        “Do you mean, humans? You want to end their suffering. Is that what you are trying to say?”

-        “Yes! Everyone should have a better chance at life!”

-        “They deserved it.”

-        “What?! No! No one deserves it!”

-        “Are you sure?”

-        “Yes!!!”

The cosmos was immediately replaced with fragments of the past. Countless images gave birth to memories of the old world. When the elven fugitives arrive at the human kingdom, they are met with a horrendous sight. The shadows in their dark faces became their new normality. These honorable and elegant beings witnessed thousands of human women getting dragged out of their homes and thrown into cages. Stripped from their livelihoods by their own kin. All for the sake of momentary peace and a way to save some of the resources during the war.

-        “Humans care more about riches and glory than all of creation. Their race has no virtue. No honor. No purity. Their greed and ambition are a bottomless pit. This is just the tip of their tainted minds. They are capable of so much more.”

-        “It was different back then! They were forced to do it! They saw no other way!”

-        “Why are you defending them?”

-        “Because the sins of our ancestors are not our own to bear!”

-        “While you are here upsetting yourself over things of the past, you fail to see what lies ahead.”

The cosmos came forth once more. The burning planets devoid of all life become the center of attention. As if the remnants of the past were never there, to begin with.

-        “You were not born a chosen one to free the slaves. You were born for something you can’t possibly fathom. Becoming a goddess means preparing for something bigger. Separating yourself from your mortal fears, needs, and desires. Giving in to your true nature. Those who hold power carry the fate of the world. You must be a shining light for all of creation. Not just fragments, leftovers of the old world.” 

-        “By Elidy’s grace, show yourself!!!”

Aiko was losing patience. That strange voice was testing her limits. All of a sudden, her surroundings became a world painted in pure white. In this dream-like atmosphere, she found herself standing in a lagoon. Yet, her reflection in the water, pictured a different being looming in the world of the upside-down. Her sun-kissed hair had lost its gentleness. Her golden strands were replaced by pure moonlight. The whites of her eyes merged with her irises, losing their earthly shine. She looked stunning in her long thin white dress that she never even wore. The way her body glowed merged with the essence of the universe, forcing Aiko’s heart to skip a bit.

-        “Humans were banished for a reason. They deserve their punishment. They deserve their prison.” – the reflection raised her voice. This time, her words echoed.

-        “Stop!”

-        “Unworthy. Unworthy to walk this world. Humans will never regain their worth!”

-        “Stop it!”

-        “It is not you who should become a goddess!”

-        “What….What do you mean?!!”

-        “You are incomplete. But, there is a way for you to become whole again. I will make sure of it.”

Then came a bright light. It painted Aiko’s skin in a warm embrace. Vines, trees, and greenery covered the lagoon like a thick blanket. The figure in the water could no longer peek through. Instead, leaves and branches intertwined, forming some kind of earthly gate. Suddenly, a buxom, matronly woman rose from the earth. Her muscular physique clothed in green. Her long, lustrous blonde curls quickly repainted themselves in a deep brown hue. Her once ivory skin become one with her native element. Her green dress, flowers, and vines enveloped her body, pointing out her every curve. The moment she stretched her legs, magical essence followed suit. Aiko immediately noticed her unique shape. The woman’s feet and arms were replaced with some kind of enchanting fragments. Not even her eyes looked human. Her aura and enormous power were beyond comprehension. As if her entire being never belonged in the mortal realm.

-        “We meet again, my chosen one.”

Aiko was petrified. Although she met this figure a long time ago, seeing her true form made her teeth chatter. The young girl never expected to witness these surroundings, let alone a being of such stature. This shock brought a quietness within.

-        “I see you’ve already met a version of yourself. Don’t let it consume you. You are more than capable of shaping your own self, in your own image.”

Soon, the being came closer to the young girl. Her divine entity warmed Aiko’s heart. Then, the being reached for the girl’s cheeks. It used her magical essence to gently brush across Aiko’s skin, forcing her fear to leave her body, as it were an unwelcome guest. That’s when the young girl finally had the courage to speak.

-        “I remember. You brought me back to life. I…can’t possibly express my gratitude. Please…can you at least tell me your name? So that I can always carry it with me.”

-        “My name? I go by many names. So will you.” – the entity chuckled. “I’m Gaia. The mother of all creation and watcher of the Earth. The time has come for your soul to join the cosmos. For you to take Elidy’s place. But, first, you must sculpt yourself. Give me your trust. Give me your time and I will mold you to perfection. Capable of conquering the path that lies ahead.”