The village in Zolar Forest is the best home Nova could ask for. Things are secluded and private, other than the ambient noises of nature surrounding her. And the stars? Absolutely gorgeous. She can see them now, shining above her, and she could watch them all night. She would too, if her attention wasn't on other things. It's a special day tomorrow, her birthday in fact! What better way to celebrate than going to explore the Temple of Zahn with a childhood friend?

Nova Albedo faces her target, determination and curiosity lighting up her eyes. Her pants are a deep mocha, stained with moss to give a slightly greenish tone. Her top is a dirty, short sleeved grey tunic that hugs her body and displays her scars with pride. A leather belt holds the outfit in place, as well as an unlit torch tied to her back. Her curls are confined to a messy bun, keeping her vision clear.

"I dunno, Nova. This place is dangerous. What if your parents find out? They'll be upset."

The fongoid teen behind her is shaking, constantly looking over his shoulder. He's a few years younger than Nova, not quite old enough to develop the trademark vocal tick that his adult peers have. His robe is baggy and grey, and he holds a matching pouch at his side with charms to ward off spirits. He wears a simple black sash over his chest. The young markazian before him certainly seems much braver than he is in this situation.

Nova shrugs him off. "It'll be fine, Alpheus, don't worry. "

"But the temple is forbidden to outsiders!"

Nova turns back to her companion as she reaches the top of the stone stairs. Her eyes lock on to his worried gaze. She points behind her with a thumb, and her right hand rests at her hips. "I've lived here all my life, and I've always wondered what's inside. The elders go in all the time, after all, so whatever's in there must be pretty important. I'm no outsider if I was born here, am I?"

"I..I guess not."

"Good. Now, can you open the door for me?"

With a smile, she turns toward Alpheus. In his hands lies a simple combat staff, with a crystal at the end that's capable of shooting a blast of energy. It's not fatal by any means, but it's certainly enough to scare off any forest creatures that pose a threat. Oh, I never should have let Nova drag me along. In her stubbornness, she managed to convince him to take the staff from the barracks. Target practice, how did they believe that?.

Alpheus begrudgingly assumes the position to heed her request. "Oh, all right. But don't get mad at me if you get hurt in there!"

The staff is brought to the ground, and a shimmer of light surrounds the lock. The door opens slowly with a rumble, and Nova stares in awe. Finally, she can get some answers. Her parents, her friends, the elders, they're all so tight-lipped about this place. All she knows is that it holds an ancient Zoni artifact, one that hasn't been moved in decades.

Whenever she asks about its purpose, or who used and returned it, she gets a flat, vague answer. 'It doesn't matter, child. It's a time long gone. You will know when the time comes. Now run along.' When will the time come?

Alpheus grips the staff nervously, checking over his shoulders for the hundredth time. "Just..be careful, okay?"

"I will. Thanks for your help, Al. I'll tell you what I find." Nova takes a step forward, only to be interrupted by his voice. There's a nervous stutter to it, one that doesn't usually show itself in her friend.

"Are you sure about this? Zoni artifacts are powerful things."

Nova shifts her focus from the open door back to her concerned friend. A confused, slightly worried look spreads across her face. Her head tilts a bit with her words. "Of course I'm ready, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, there's a lot of Zoni bioenergy in your body. More than what's attached to us fongoids, and we've been raised in it for generations. What if it does something to you?"

"What could it possibly do to me?"

Nova is met with nervous silence, and her face drops. Al's known her for years, and he can't even look her in the eyes as he dodges her question with a low hum. It's frustrating beyond decent words, so she makes do with a simple, direct response. Her eyes narrow, her posture stiffens, and her left hand points to the ground in defiance.

"This, right here, is why I need to know."

Without another word, Nova turns away from him. She lights her torch with the flint from her pocket and steps inside the corridor. The door shuts behind her, and she doesn't see Alpheus look towards her in shame for his secrecy, for everyone's secrecy. He doesn't know the details the elders do, but he knows her story. A child touched by Orvus, born from lightning. Like the rest of the fongoids, he's been raised to keep silent for everyone's safety, including hers. Too bad she's too curious for her own good. Nova doesn't hear his mumbled response.

"It's better that you don't know."

The room expands, and the soft glow of her torch illuminates her surroundings. The stone walls are coated with slimy moss, and the air is thick with the musty scent of dust and dirt. The floor has three pressure plates arranged in a triangle, as if the crumbled door before her once opened for them. After a deep breath, she steps over the rubble into the rest of the temple.

The air smells of soot, and the floors ahead of her are charred black in a predictable, repeated pattern, unlike the previous room. Nova lets out a small gasp. "Fascinating. It's a booby trap, like those old films Mom and Dad always talk about. It's good that it's so predictable. Well, good for me, not whatever it's protecting."

Going around the black marks, Nova steps through the next doorway. "Alright, what's next?"

The new room is much larger than the last, with cog-shaped pillars forging the path ahead. Nova makes a new observation, doing her best not to look down as she moves forward. "Hm, these platforms must have rotated, and these things in the center still have a bit of oil in them. Lanterns maybe? Or were they part of a trap too?"

She breathes a sigh of relief at being on solid ground again, and stares down another burnt corridor. Through the doorway at the end, Nova sees a huge gold statue of Orvus himself, with two large, bright blue stones for eyes. There's something sparkling in the light from his Chronoscepter. It catches her eye, and she's drawn towards it. She drops the torch, moving towards the chamber slowly.

"Finally, a straight answer. Let's see what they're not telling me."

Coming closer to it, she sees the artifact float a few feet off the ground. Nova watches it rotate slowly, then picks it up. After the relief sets in that the statue's eyes aren't going to fry her or something, she studies the strange object. It's...underwhelming.

"Really? Everyone's so hushed over an empty jar?" She grips the top, twisting it to look inside.

It's not empty.

A pulse of energy hits her in the face, and the world fades to black.

…

The stars shine brightly, but are invisible through the dense fog of smoke and fire. The village is in flames, and there's red soaked into the ground. Terrified screams of pain beg for mercy, and at the center of it all is a tall, thin metallic figure. His eyes are a deep, hateful crimson that glows brightly in the moonlight with his other lights. Over his face, there's a deep crack over the right eye. A disembodied voice speaks over the commotion with a slight echo, surrounding Nova.

"The Doctor is coming."

Metal hands grip Nova's throat, squeezing the life from her. Those eyes cut into her soul, as if they're measuring her worth and finding nothing but disappointment. She's going to die, she knows it. She shuts her eyes, waiting for the end, and...

...

A scream tears from her lungs as Nova awakens in a soft bed. Her parents and the head priestess are with her, and the cold rag that was on her forehead falls onto her lap. Burning incense creates ribbons of smoke near her bed. Instead of her previous outfit, she's in a loose dress of plain grey cloth.

The old fongoid's voice is calming as she does her best to soothe Nova. "Shh, it's alright, child. It's over now."

"I..How did I get here? One minute I was in the.."

Oh man, I snitched on myself. Her parents look at her disappointed, and that hurts so much more than anger. She avoids their gaze.

"You were in the temple," her father says. "The one place we all asked you not to go, especially alone."

Her mother speaks up now, a worried tone lining her voice as well. "What were you thinking, Nova? What if your friend hadn't gone in to check on you?"

Nova looks up from the bed, caught off guard. "Wait, Alpheus came for me? He was so nervous before."

"Yes, and for good reason too. There was a strong pulse of Zoni bioenergy. We assumed the worst, and do you know what he found?"

Nova's head drops in shame as her father continues for her mother.

"You were on the ground clutching that vessel. He called your name, and you wouldn't respond. He.. he thought you were...I almost lost you both once. I can't...I.."

The elderly woman places a calm hand on his shoulder, the forest green sleeve draping over her arm. She holds a small cup from the little pot over the fire. "Calm yourself, James. Drink some tea and rest, both of you. Let me have a moment with her alone."

He complies, leading them both out of the room. The woman's dark, loose clothing is a stark contrast to the gold ornaments over her body. The metal seems to glow in the reflection of the dim fire. The silence is deafening, and the old woman stares at Nova, who struggles to keep eye contact with her fierce gaze.

"I'm sorry, Elder Talia. I just wanted to know the truth for once. I'm not stupid. I know there's more to the story, but everyone omits the important parts. Everyone always says that I'll know when the time comes, but I'm 18 now, and- "

A frail, wrinkled hand is raised to silence her, and she stops her rant. Talia offers her a cup of tea, like she often does to begin an important meeting with the chief, elders, and mystics. Nova's never been part of the loop before, so the gesture is refreshing. She raises the cup to her lips.

"The Zoni have given you a vision, yes?"

Nova chokes on her tea. Talia watches in stoic silence as Nova struggles to take in oxygen, as if she expected such a thing to happen. "Wh-What? How did you know?"

"Alpheus told me that your eyes were glowing bright blue, staring forward at nothing in fear. Tell me, Nova. What did the Zoni show you?"

The shock that paints her face threatens to shift into fear. That dream, no, that nightmare, was a vision? With a deep breath, she takes another sip. It warms both her throat and her soul, and it gives her the courage to tell her story.