The sudden light lightens up the entire cave. Brightness is so intense that it is hard to keep my eyes open.
Open up, look - someone was whispering; the voice was echoing in a particular place as if I was boxed in a place.
Slowly, I open my eyes, a white surface; as far as I delve in, all I can see is white. No one here, not even Levana, like in my dreams, I stand here all alone. Not even those guys from before.
It is a weird sensation; no matter how loud I shout, in the end, all that comes to my ear like a faint voice.
Soon, I begin to walk further, looking for someone or something other than this white look. Yet no matter how much I walk, all margin in failure. This endless space was suffocating me.
I did not even hear the voice when I first came here. I walk, walk, and walk, yet there reached no end. It was like an endless loop with no bounds.
Hello… anyone here… Leve… I shout, no answer. Hopeless, I fell backward but found myself standing. No matter what postures I try, none work. Standing all alone in this space, I was losing my mind.
Maybe this was a bad idea, possibly opening that box was the wrong choice, perhaps coming to the forest was wrong, or maybe sneaking out was what started this all...one after another, a conclusion came to mind, questioning even my birth.
That's right, I should not have been born again, or not as Arya mostly. There are so many conclusions reaching no specific line, and I am fully aware of how irrelevant those are.
As I kept walking on this vast expanse without a destination, I felt pathetic at myself. In a world different from mine, I incredibly faced unexpected circumstances. Laugh at me all you want...even I am also laughing at my outcome.
Surprising me, a breeze passed, touching me; it appeared out of the blue. Blowing in one direction, thinking of it as a thread that might connect to the end, I started following.
The wind led me to the stairs, white stairs floating in the air; above stood a black door.
"Is that the way out?" *sighs. I step on the first one. It would seem like ordinary stairs if it were not for this environment. Nothing is typical in this world; thinking like this will only be foolish and ignoring reality.
As I climb, I notice that the lower stairs begin to despair. Afraid of failure, I hotfoot to the door.
Eventually, I came in front of the door. As I grabbed the door handle, many hands reached out to me, grabbed me from every hook, and pulled me inside.
The moment I saw what was inside, I knew the very moment that my adventure started henceforth.
There was Leve, in the center, within the bounds of a thick glass capsule hovering in the air.
Like a child in their mother's womb, illuminating the whole place with her radiant light, she was in deep slumber.
Slowly but surely, keeping my peace, I walk towards her. From the light touch of my fingers, the glass capsule broke. Swiftly, I reached out both hands, and she fell into my palms.
Heat rushed through my body; my whole body was changing. As if the fire was burning my flesh and blood, yet I remained unharmed.
My blood was boiling, the ground under my feet burning; I felt this hot sensation, like nothing more beautiful than this fire.
As the fire was out, I fell on my knees. Leve still in the palms of my hand. She woke up and looked like a bit of a bird, a bird of fire itself.
"Hello, Arya." With a smile and eyes filled with happiness, she welcomed me.
"Hello, Leve," I smile back at her.
"You found me," she said faintly.
"Yes... I did", I spoke in a soft voice.
Joy came to us like a tidal wave, filling our hearts with the sweetness of happiness. I don't know why; I feel that Leve was the most familiar one.
I sat down, looking at Leve; she was whirling in the air.
"Leve, don't you think you should explain something to me?" I asked bluntly.
She came down and sat across me. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything, from the start. I believe you will be honest about this," giving her the eye look that says 'no lie.'
"Well, to begin with, you are the descendant of the first witch who is now the owner of the Phoenix. Phoenix is a mythical creature who is born from fire. Precisely speaking, it burns itself in fire and is reborn from its ashes. That is how a phoenix is born. Its fire is the strongest and most destructive."
"And why am I the owner of such being?" I asked in confusion.
"Arya, remember how you came into this world?" At its question, I tilted my head. "You are dead in your world; that is how you came here."
Well, I somehow expected that, but "That still does not explain my question."
"You died and was born again. That's the basis of Phoenix's birth, but why you are not able to use magic was simply because you were not reborn from your ashes."
"If it is all about death and being reborn, then anyone could fill the seat. Why me?"
She said, her eyes glued on mine, "Cause you are her( Arya), another self in another world."
"So the previous Arya, I mean all of them were..."
She explained further, "Yes, that is correct. They were also from another world. Millions of alternative worlds exist. Each containing our very self."
"However, crossing the world is not easy without a price. You do recall that the person named Ivan regressed with his memory intact. That was the power of the first Arya—the original host of this body. But because of her foolishness, everything came to an end. Which left a fetal damage in the space and time."
"The darkness took advantage of this point and advanced with great speed. However, the original host's wish was attached to her spell. So it helps reversing the time. Due to that, the time-space kept becoming weakened. If the darkness is not defeated, it will invade the other world."
"So that's why you kept pulling people from their world.." horror was visible on my face.
"That was the only solution remaining." She sensed my anger and looked down at the ground.
"If they die here, what happens to them afterward?" I was dead serious now.
"There is no afterward." She did not even bat an eye to answer that.
"So they just died… just like that?" Without knowing, I raised my voice.
"They were late awakening their power, and the darkness consumed them." Seeing me getting angry, she looked down.
I do not know what I'm feeling anymore. The joy from before was gone. Rage, hatred, powerless nothing, I felt nothing. I just kept my eyes on her tiny figure.
"Look, if you don't find the remaining fragments and are too late to awaken your full power, the darkness will consume you, too. So listen to me; help me to defeat the darkness, and I will return you to your world." She kept on talking.
All this information was too much for me to take in. The cruel truth about this world was crumbling my world. Helplessly, I look at her.
Desperately, she spoke, "The fifth Arya did try to prevent this outcome, but the darkness manipulated the people around her, left with Lilly's amount of power. She invited you into our world. Please, I beg of you. Help this world, help its people. Defeat the darkness and free the world from its wickedness, please, Evelyn." After all this time, hearing my real name gave me a shock.
Mumbling, I said, "All this time, I thought this world was inside a book; now everything is upside-down." Looking down at her bowing head, she asked,"Where are the other fragments?" I asked.
It looks up, tears in its eyes. "Thank you, thank you so much," Breaking into tears.
"Don't get me wrong, all I'm doing is for my survival," I said, looking cold.
"Yes," floating up, " there are seven pieces, including me. As for the location, I can't tell unless there's a bond tide between us."
Aloofly, I asked, "How?" 'No matter what, I will survive this and return to my world.'
"Give me a drop of your blood, that's all." She said.
"And about my power?" I asked her again.
"It will soon awaken when the bind is tied. You have already burned in my ashes. So there's no need to worry." She speaks a bit like a child.
As it said, I proceeded with that; after completing the procedure, my body felt light as a feather.
"When all pieces are completed, your full potential will arise. Now, give me a name," excitement flickering in its eyes.
"Don't you have a name already?" Rising an eyebrow, I asked in confusion.
Shaking her head, she added, "Not that one, a name given to me by my master. It runs deep, you know."
It is a phoenix, then "von." Its name will be von onwards.
"Huh!! What's name is that? Give a pretty one," it whines.
"It's a fit name for you." Ignoring her, I add, "That's what I decided."
"What does it mean, though?" floating before my eyes, it asked.
"Hope.." not saying any further, I nod, looking at my forefinger.
"By the way," as she spoke, I looked at her. "How are you going to deal with the witches?"
Hearing that, I was stopped in my tracks. "Huh?"
She asked with an innocent look, "Did you not know there are many witches across the continent."
"That's news to me," shocked I answer.
"Hehehehehe....I suppose we are running short in time, master." She twirls happily.
Many mysteries have started unfolding, and there is so much to discover. The journey ahead of me will be full of thrones. But since I have chosen this path, let's see what lies and have to learn. 'Shall we start our expedition?'
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