I can't believe I did that.
I stared at my two hands as we walked through the forest. The others were walking ahead of me, discussing what they would do when we arrived at the Lunar Temple. Back in my own world, these hands had cut open patients, fixing what was broken within, stitching together flesh that been torn asunder. I'd saved lives with these hands, and with my skill with a scalpel.
I glanced at Aamon's back. I'd saved him with these hands…
And with magic.
It was a strange thought. I'd come from a world with no magic, where magic was just fiction. And now, I had magic. It was like the regular plot of any isekai manhwa.
It felt strange. I wondered idly what was happening in my world. Was I missing from there? Was I dead in that world? I didn't know. I hoped that seeing Estes might shed some light on a few things. From what I remembered in the game lore, Estes had fallen into a deep sleep after defeating Alice, leaving Miya to lead the Moon Elves against the Abyss. He had awoken the third time Alice attacked, more powerful than ever before. In the lore, at least. In game, he was a powerful healer who could easily lead his team to victory.
I stared at my hands again. I tried to reach for that power, tried to make them shine with that healing light earlier, but nothing happened. I guess it wasn't going to be that easy.
"Magic is something that needs to be honed."
I glanced up. Aamon had stopped in his tracks, his eyes fixed on my hands, as though he could tell what I was trying to do. "It is not something that is easily learnt," he said.
"The Heart of Anima is a powerful thing," Miya said from ahead of the group. "To be able to use it would mean a great deal against the forces of the Abyss. But like what the Duke says, you would need more training. Most magic users train at a very young age."
I nodded. "Estes could show you how," Miya said as we continued walking along. "In fact, anyone who uses magic could show you. The principles of it all are the same. Being aware of your power, being one with it, and shaping it as you see fit."
"Think about such things later," Aamon said. A spasm of pain suddenly crossed his face, and one of his hands went to his injured shoulder.
"Are you okay?" I asked, worried. Was it the poison again?
"I'm fine," he said, waving me off.
"Worry not, we're nearly there," Alucard said, glancing at us.
Ahead of us, the trees began to thin out, and the five of us found ourselves in a vast clearing surrounded by majestic oaks. I glanced around me. "We've arrived," Miya suddenly said.
"I don't see anything," Gusion said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I see you need more training, if you can't even sense the magical barrier," Aamon said dryly.
Miya smiled. Reaching out a glowing hand, she brushed the air before her. At once a ripple shimmered in the air, and a hill slowly materialized before our eyes.
"Wow," I breathed.
Atop the hill, a majestic temple stood, surrounded by high marble walls along which climbed vines of a silver blue color. The building within the walls was made of elegant spires and towers, all reaching towards the moonlit sky above. From within the building, rose the larges oak tree I've ever seen in my life. It towered above the spires, sheltering parts of the temple within its gentle shadow.
"Welcome to the Lunar Temple," Miya said with a smile.
Gusion let out whistle as they climbed the hill towards the temple. Admittedly, it was his first time seeing the sacred grounds of the elves for himself. The walls of the building above them seemed to glow with a gentle light, and he could hear the sounds of trickling water from inside the walls.
He glanced towards his brother, who was walking beside Diana. Occasionally, a spasm of pain would cross his features. They couldn't have arrived a moment too soon, he thought. The poison might be kicking in again.
They eventually approached a massive stone gate engraved with images of the moon Goddess Gavana. Atop the gate was a massive gem of moonstone.
"Halt!" several voices shouted from atop the gates.
They stopped, and Miya stepped forward. "It is I, Miya," she announced. "I've returned with companions with permission of the King. Open the gates."
At once, the moonstone in the gate seemed to glow at her words. Light ran along the edges of the massive gate, which slowly swung forward. Several elven soldiers, all wearing silver armor, immediately greeted them, bowing respectfully to Miya as they did so.
"Princess, we are glad for your safe return," they said.
"By the blessing of the Moon Goddess," Miya said gently. "Please allow us passage. The King will be expecting us."
"At once, my Lady," the head of the soldiers said, stepping aside to let them through.
Diana glanced around them as they entered the Lunar Temple. The outer courtyard was covered with fountains and ponds, all surrounded with beautiful wisteria trees. The gentle hum of the water followed them all the way to the doors of the temple, which immediately swung open to let them in.
They found themselves in a spacious reception room. All around them, fountains bearing the image of the Moon Goddess stood. Their waters seemed to glow with moonlight. And before them, seated on a throne of polished oak, sat a handsome man with moonlit skin, and silver hair. He was dressed in resplendent robes of violet and gold. The sigil of the Moon Goddess glowed brightly behind his back. In his hand, he held a scroll that he had been perusing.
"Brother," Miya said, as she led them down the aisle and toward the throne of the Elf King.
Estes inclined his head at his sister. "I see you've returned quite late, Miya," he said. His voice was deep and filled with an ancient authority that demanded attention. The in-game artwork failed to do him any justice, too.
Miya knelt on one knee before his throne, and the rest of them immediately followed. "I've returned with friends," Miya said.
"Ah, yes," Estes said as he waved an elegant hand for them to stand. "Once again, a Duke of House Paxley has come to grace our doors. It seemed like only yesterday the first Duchess, Valentina, stood before me where you stand now, Duke Aamon."
"With all due respect," Aamon said, placing a hand over his chest. "I am not my ancestor."
"No, you are not," he said, silver eyes eyeing him closely. "You are something else entirely…as are you." The last sentence was directed towards Diana, who blinked in surprise.
Diana felt Gusion nudging her forward. "Tell me, child, what are you doing here so far from home?" Estes asked her. "It isn't every day that such a unique outlander graces our doors."
"I was hoping you could tell me," Diana said. "I…don't know why I'm here. All this should be impossible, but here I am."
Estes smiled slowly. "The moon knows all, sees all," he murmured. "And what better way than to ask her?"
They all stared at him. "Brother, do you mean…?" Miya asked.
Estes nodded slowly. "We will invoke the Moon Goddess," he said. "I have studied the lores, the prophecies. The Prophecy of Twilight is ancient, and shrouded in mystery that not even I can discern. And yet, I feel as if the ripples of Fate are stirring. Dark times lie ahead. Whether or not there will be light, I cannot say."
A small spasm of pain suddenly crossed Aamon's face. "Yeah, but before we do that," Gusion spoke up. "Would it be all right to heal my brother first? He's been poisoned with Alice's blood."
"Gusion," Aamon said, warning in his voice.
"Poisoned by that wretch?" Estes said, entwining his slender fingers beneath his chin. "And yet you still live, Duke Paxley."
"This woman healed him, brother," Miya said, gesturing to Diana who gave a small start of surprise. "She bears the Heart of Anima within her. It is with that power that Duke Paxley's life was saved. I'm sad to say, I did not want to risk her using too much of the Heart's power to purify the poison."
Estes glanced up. High above, a glass dome allowed the light of the waxing moon to filter into the room. "Indeed," he said softly. "Has the Twilight Prophecy begun? Invoking the Goddess will tell us more. This is a prophecy of gods, men, elves, and demons, after all. And at the center of it all is she, the Twilight Goddess."
Lunox? Diana thought.
Estes turned to her, a small smile on his lips. "You seem to know much more, child," he said. He leaned back in his seat and waved a hand. At once, several elven maidens emerged from the corner of the room.
"Take the Duke's party to their chambers," he instructed them. "Bring the Duke to the healing chamber. I will follow shortly."
"What about that that Invocation thing?" Gusion asked.
Estes smiled. "We must wait for a full moon," he said. "After all, is it not the Moon Goddess we are invoking?"
I lay in bed, staring at the elegant canopy above me. The elven attendants had prepared dinner and a fresh change of clothes for Gusion and me while Alucard and Miya bade us farewell. Aamon had been brought to the healing chambers by Estes and had yet to return. Gusion slept in the next room, if he was even sleeping at all.
I glanced at the room's massive windows. It was dark outside now. I had no way of knowing the time in the Land of Dawn. In fact, did time here even flow the same way as it did back in my world?
I sighed. Now that I was alone with my thoughts, there were far too many for me. Too many things to think of. It felt tiring.
I rolled over in bed, staring at the glossy canopy that surrounded me. What if I closed my eyes now, fell asleep, and woke up in my world? The possibility seemed high. I was still having a hard time coming to terms with the reality of everything that had happened. Had it only been a day?
Again, I stared at my hands. Admittedly, when I wasn't serious in the hospital, I was an avid gamer. PC mostly, mobile at times when I felt lazy. I read fanfiction. I read isekai manhwa. So what guarantee did I have that all this wasn't really some dream I would wake from when I closed my eyes?
A gentle knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I rose, and quickly drew on the robe the elven attendants had laid out for me earlier.
Aamon stood outside the door, all signs of the poison seemed to have been purged from him completely. The sickly pallor had left his skin, and he no longer looked like he was in pain.
"It's you," I said, opening the door wider. "How are you? Did Estes's healing work?"
"Yes," he nodded. He glanced over my head, into the room, and frowned. "Where is Gusion?"
"Oh," I said. "They gave him another room down the hallway. But before you go, please wait a moment." I left the door open as I hurried to the table beside my bed where I'd folded Aamon's cloak earlier.
"Here you are," I said, grinning. "Thank you for letting me borrow it. Awkward circumstances, and all. Though I am sorry about the tear."
He unfurled his cloak. It seemed to glow with a muted, violet light. I watched, fascinated, as the tear along the hemline seemed to mend itself entirely.
"That is pretty amazing, you know," I said. "In my world, I had to mend everything by hand. Even people." I frowned. "I'm still convinced I'm going to wake up in my world and find that everything was just a dream, and that you're not really real."
Aamon arched an elegant eyebrow. Before I could stop him, he flicked my nose with a finger. Hard.
"Ow!" I snapped, cupping my nose. "Again with the manhandling!"
"Did that feel real enough?" he asked sarcastically.
"It did," I huffed, my eyes watering. "Go away."
"Goodnight, Diana," he said with a small laugh as I slammed the door in his face.
What a jerk.
Warm sunlight and the soft twittering of birds woke me up the following day. For a moment, I thought I was back in my condo. For a moment, I thought everything had been a wild, hyper-realistic dream…Until I turned my head, and saw that I was most definitely not in my own bed.
I sat up. "Real, then," I said. I rubbed the tip of my nose from where Aamon had flicked it last night.
A soft knock at the door. "Lady, may I come in?" a soft voice asked.
Lady? How strange.
The door opened, and a petite elven lady stood there. She had long, ebony hair fastened into a braid over her shoulder, and olive skin that seemed to shine in the morning sunlight. Her golden eyes twinkled with a warmth that made me like her at once.
"Pardon, Lady," she said. "I am Sara. Lady Miya has bade me tend to you for the duration of your stay here."
The duration of my stay? "Have Aamon and Gusion left?" I asked, feeling a little anxious.
"No, Lady," Sara said. "The Duke and his brother await you in His Majesty's study." She paused. "You've slept most of the day."
I glanced out the window. Sure enough, the sun was low in the sky. I think it was sometime in the late afternoon. "Oh," I said.
Sara smiled. I allowed her to lead me to the room's bath, my mind suddenly going blank at all that had happened yesterday. As Sara's gentle hands poured water down my head, I couldn't help but think again of the impossibility of my situation. Why was I even here, and how? Didn't things like isekai only exist in fiction?
"Sara…What exactly is an 'Invocation' to the Moon Goddess?" I asked as she helped me out of the bath.
"It is a simple ritual and a prayer," she said as she toweled my hair. "His Highness will pray to the Moon Goddess on the full moon, and ask for her guidance. Often, the Goddess answers, and she will manifest herself."
"Manifest herself?" I asked. "As in, she'll appear before us?"
"Of a sort," Sara said, as she led me back to the room.
"Does she always show herself?" I asked.
"Sometimes," Sara said. "If the Goddess deems the cause important."
Sara seated me in front of the silver vanity. My reflection stared back at me. Wavy brown hair that appeared limp, and wide almond-shaped hazel eyes that seemed exhausted. I blame the stress.
"Don't worry, Lady," Sara said, smiling at me. "Leave it to me."
"So what exactly happens after?" Gusion asked Aamon. They were seated in Estes' study, waiting for the Elf King and for Diana.
"Meaning?" Aamon asked, crossing his legs as he sat. He leaned his cheek against his knuckle, eyeing his brother like a hawk.
"Diana," Gusion said. "She's bound to be safe here with Estes. But she also has the Heart of Anima. And we need the Heart. Does she have it? Is it a part of her?"
"I do not know," Aamon said, leaning back with a sigh. "But I felt its power when she saved me, and this I know—it is the key to destroying the curse on our house."
"That is if Estes lets us leave with her," he pointed out.
Aamon stared out the window. He supposed if worse came to worse, he and Gusion could spirit Diana away from under Estes' nose. But causing rifts with the Elf King was in no one's best interest. No, it was better to keep a friendly relationship with the Elves.
"He may," he told Gusion.
At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana and Miya. The elven attendant had dressed Diana in a dress of blue and shimmering silver, the sleeves tapering from her elbows and gently falling to the ground. Her brown hair had been plated over her one shoulder with flowers. She almost looked like an elf, save for her human ears.
"I'm sorry," Diana said hastily as she closed the door behind them. "I slept in a bit." She sounded sheepish.
"A bit? It's almost sunset," Gusion pointed out, and Miya glared at him.
"We are to meet with Estes in the Inner Sanctum," Miya said. With a gesture, she bade everyone follow her.
"Miya," Diana said slowly as the Moonlit Archer led them out of the room and towards the inner courtyard. "Do you think the Goddess will manifest herself?"
"I'm almost certain she will," Miya said. On either side of them, elves bowed to her as they passed. "You see, the Twilight Prophecy is a grave matter. The fate of gods, demons, elves and humans hang on it, and on the Twilight Goddess."
"You mean, Lunox?" Diana asked.
"Who?" Miya asked.
Aamon and Gusion exchanged glances, vividly recalling the petite woman accompanying Natan and Belerick. Neither of them had been aware of Lunox's true identity, but Diana…
Aamon swiftly stepped in beside Diana. Before the young woman could reply, he gripped her hand in his, and gently squeezed it in warning.
Startled, Diana stared up at him, and he subtly shook his head.
"Nothing," Diana said hastily, tugging her hand from Aamon's grip. "Just a thought."
"The Twilight Goddess has been lost for centuries," Miya said, staring at her from over her shoulder. "It's been long since prophesized among the elves that the Twilight Goddess would bring balance to the Lord of the Abyss and the Lord of Light." She shook her head. "Many thought—and still think—that this is heresy. So much so, that no copy of the original Twilight Prophecy remains. And what we do know has been passed down from word of mouth."
They soon came across a small shrine in the courtyard. It was hidden by the leaves of the willow, with the sound of the fountains gurgling all around them. Two elves dressed in rich white robes opened the front doors for them, and they walked in.
Diana stared around. At the very front of the chamber was a small pool of water, so still it almost appeared mirror-like. Above it, a glass dome allowed the light of the setting sun to shine onto the water's surface. The room contained nothing else, not even an effigy to the Goddess.
Before the pool stood Estes, dressed in pure ivy robes that seemed to glow. He was surrounded by elven priests and priestesses in resplendent robes of white and silver.
"Come," he beckoned.
Gusion, Aamon and Diana stared at each other before obeying. They stood around the pond with Miya. At once, several elf maidens approached them, bearing cups of a clear liquid. "Drink," Estes commanded. "It is merely water from the springs of the Goddess."
Diana hesitated before raising the cup to her lips. The water felt cool and had a hint of barley to it. All round them, light from the setting sun filled the chamber with a soft warm glow. All at once, the elven priests around them began to chant and sing, their unearthly voices echoing around them.
Miya and Estes stood across the pond, facing each other. They clasped their hands together in prayer, and bowed their heads just as the sun had set and the light of the stars slowly glimmered in the night sky. Their lips moved together in simultaneous prayer as darkness fell, and moonlight slowly filtered through the domed roof to reflect on the pond at their feet.
The moonlight reflecting the pond seemed to glow brighter. Diana's eyes widened as the surface of the pond began to shine, as if light was emanating from its depths. The air around them seemed charged with power, raising the hairs on the back of her nape. The voices of the priests seemed to grow louder.
To their surprise, Miya seemed to glow with a bright light, as if the pond had chosen to bestow her with its glow. The air grew heavier, the singing louder.
Miya slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyes were no longer violet. They glowed with that same unearthly light as the pond. She smiled, and Estes immediately knelt on a knee. Around them, everyone followed suit, for there was no doubt in their minds that the woman standing before them now was no longer Miya, but the Moon Goddess.
"My children," Miya said, in a voice no longer her own, in a voice that echoed with ancient power.
"You honor us with your presence, Great Goddess Gavana," Estes intoned, his head bowed low.
"I have heard your prayers, your petitions," Miya went on, glancing about the room. Her gaze settled on Diana. "And your concerns. This is she, then?"
"Yes, Goddess," Estes said.
"Stand, child," Miya said, and Diana hastily stood, transfixed. Miya approached, and brushed a hand lightly against her cheek. "I feel it," she murmured. "The Heart of Anima pulses within your breast. It is your Heart now."
I stared at Miya, confused. "What do you mean…" Damn, what do you call a fictional goddess come to life?
Miya fixed her eyes on mine. "In place of a heart, the Unique God has chosen to bestow you with the Heart of Anima," she said gently. "It is what keeps you in this world. Cherish it well. Should you lose it, so too will you lose your life and place in the Land of Dawn."
I stared at her. "I don't understand," I said slowly. "I come from a different world, a different reality. I didn't have magic in my world. I was a doctor. I cut people up and put them back together. I had a geeky side like everyone else. So…why me? Why am I here? Why do I have the Heart of Anima?"
Miya shook her head, silver hair swaying. "Only the Unique God can answer such a question. He who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. It is He who sets things into motion. It is by His hand that you are here, and it is by His hand that you have found your companions."
Miya stepped back. "It is by His hand that the Twilight Prophecy will now be fulfilled."
"What is the Twilight Prophecy?" I asked.
"She born of order and chaos," Miya said solemnly. "She who is the gift of the Unique God. She who has the power to set right the Light and the Abyss. She who will save the Land of Dawn. The Twilight Goddess is fractured, child. You must find the missing pieces of the Twilight orb. The Scales, the Aurora, the Grimoire, and the Anima…Only then will the Twilight Goddess awaken, only then will she set the Land of Dawn aright."
I stared at her. "I don't even know if I'm qualified enough to do that."
Miya smiled. "Ah," she said. "You Earthlings always harbor a great deal of self-doubt."
"Wait, you know Earth?" I asked surprised.
"Of course," Miya said, smiling. "I reside there as well. We gods are ominipresent, we exist in all the realms. Though we are far removed from the Unique God."
I stared at her. Moon Goddess…bow… "By any chance, in my world, are you…Artemis?"
Miya smiled in confirmation. "Wow," I breathed. Holy, I was talking to the Artemis. My mind felt like it would explode.
"I haven't been called that name in a while," Miya said thoughtfully, smiling. "Thank you."
At that moment, a low, menacing chuckle filled the room. Surprised, we turned towards Gusion, who still knelt with his head bowed.
"Artemis, she called you," Gusion said, chuckling.
"Gusion?" Aamon asked, frowning as he turned to his brother.
Gusion looked up. I gasped. His eyes…the whites and the pupils were gone. His eyes were nothing but two deep pools of glowing red. Gusion grinned manically at Miya as he stood, Aamon immediately following.
"Artemis," Gusion said, shrugging. "But I prefer Gavana, don't you agree, darling?"
Miya's stare turned icy. At once, Estes and the other elves stood, weapons drawn and pointed towards Gusion. Aamon's shards of light were immediately around him, whether to protect his brother or take him down, I couldn't tell.
"When I saw your vessel, I did wonder," Miya said, turning to Gusion, "when you would be rearing your ugly head, Kalon."
Aamon and I stared at each other.
Kalon?
