HOLO-LIFE MYTH Chapter 3: O Sacred Book, a hololive fanfic

HOLO-LIFE MYTH

Chapter 3: O Sacred Book

"Two days pass by so quickly…"

It's the dawn of the third and final day of the feast. For the last few days I've stayed here at the Temple, tending to the messages of the Ancient Ones. Weirdly enough, They don't seem quite as active as I initially thought. At first I was expecting multitudes of tasks to be given upon me today, but alas they only uttered nothing more than a few phrases to me. I looked outside an open window to see the sun just peek above the horizon, it's still too early but I can't sleep anymore, what entails in this so-called ritual still lingers in my ever so curious mind.

The early morning sunrise reveals a handful of drunken and blacked out individuals who had way too many drinks from last night's party, like seriously, the drinking last night was crazy, a local winery gave out dozens of barrels worth of wine to the feast. As much as I wanted to sneak in and have a sip myself, one of the few orders the Ancient Ones gave to me was to stay sober, stating that my mind should be in a state of purity and in peak condition for the ritual. One of many strict rules that they gave to me, a feast should be a time for celebrations, a time to have some fun and yet, I didn't get any of that. I remained secluded in my quarters at the Temple for the remaining days, luckily I have some parchment and ink to keep myself busy for the time being. My room is littered with art made from my ink soaked brush, a far cry from my usual artworks which are filled with lovely colors, these ones are just black and white outlines. Of course, I made the most out of the things I have like messing around with the calligraphy brush, testing the different strokes that I can do which can really influence the heaviness and thickness of the lines which I like very much. Maybe I can implement this with my artworks when I get a chance.

I hear the morning rooster crows as the golden rays continue to grow and bathe the earth. It's a sight to see for sure, a sight that I rarely see because of me wanting to sleep for a few more minutes, hehe~ . Speaking of sleep, I didn't get much of it because my mind is too occupied with current matters as well as this ongoing… nervousness? Uncertainty? Weariness? I don't know what exactly, but it's definitely one of the reasons why. The whispers were another, they've plagued me a few days ago and have mostly been filtered out so long as I keep my mind busy lest the voice consume my thoughts.

I basked my face with the sunlight through the open window, maybe the sun can help with my sanity. The gold light scattered through my room, so warm and so bright. Calm and comfy, something that I really needed. I close my eyes as I lay my chin on the table, getting the rest that I lacked for the past few days.

growl~

Hmm… maybe I should go downstairs to request a meal to be prepped, though it's quite weird, I admittedly ate a lot of food last night yet I'm already hungry. Probably the result of all the weird things happening to me, stress build up or something. I stood up from my seating position and went straight to the sliding door and pulled it open.

"Good morning, Priestess, it appears that you're up early"

My eyes widened with surprise, standing in front of me is the Temple supervisor who coincidentally is holding some breakfast food in her hand. What luck! At least that beats asking people to cook food for me.

"Ah, Lady Ru'me, I wasn't expecting to see you today, especially with all the food at hand." I replied.

"As a supervisor it's my job to take care of the people residing in the Temple, especially you my dear Priestess. I've got you a filling meal to start the day, consider this my offering and a gift to you."

Her warm smile is like a sunshine of its own, so bright and lively, you can almost get lost in them. The supervisor walks into my quarters like it's a daily routine, she places the food down at the chabudai as I follow suit and sit in front of it. The food was typical for a breakfast yet it never fails to hit the spot; a bowl of rice accompanied by some miso soup with chunks of tofu floating in it, on the side was grilled fish with some garnishes to complement the rice and of course, no cucumbers. A perfect meal. I grab the chopsticks and begin to dig in. The food is warm, fresh out of the kitchen, a great way to warm the body.

From the corner of my eyes I see movement before seemingly sitting down facing me. I raise my head as I swallow a piece of tofu and my eyes meet face to face with the deep amber haired girl with bangs curtained to the sides, her eyes of dark blue stared right at me. Her smile is consistent, unbreaking, and even almost forced, but I know for a fact it isn't. I have known her since I was a candidate maiden, Ru'me was an apprentice at the time, though we weren't friends who knew every bit of each other, we also weren't on bad terms either. She's an optimistic girl that's all, always happy to do her job and help the cause. Of course, ever since I was elected Priestess we see each other almost everyday chatting when possible, getting familiar with each other knowing that both of us will be working together till we meet our timely death.

"So, how's the food, my dear Priestess?" She asked.

I paused for a second, processing what she just asked me, "It's delicious, your cooking never fails to satisfy." I replied hastily. I can see her smile growing, even glowing. I would be lying if I said the opposite, this is good food.

"Thank you," She said with a light bow, "I was worried that I disappointed you, especially on the day of the ritual. I can't possibly imagine the consequences if I fail this simple task."

Oh dear, there she goes being overly dramatic again. I honestly don't know if she's doing this on purpose to garner praise or if her reaction is of genuine guilt and worry, "Nonsense, Lady Ru'me. You've done nothing but deliver great service to me and the people that reside in this Temple." She sat there in silence with a face still showing signs of worry. Maybe I should change the subject.

"Speaking of the ritual, have the preparations begun yet?"

Her face suddenly lit up, "Of course, my Priestess, I've tasked the maidens to prepare the ritual room and decorate it to fit the requirements as stated in the scripture." I continue to eat my breakfast as she talks, "as for the offerings, the scripture specified that the offering should be no older than one day and one night, so I ordered the other maidens the moment the sun rose."

"I expect it to be done by the afternoon, as most of the offerings are rather easy to obtain by today standards, but one item would prove troublesome to obtain I'm afraid" Her mouth curved to a frown, "acquiring an iris flower would definitely prove to be a difficult task, that's why I sent out a search party on your behalf which includes an entire battalion of our Temple Guards to search the vast valley for it. Surely there has to be one somewhere."

"Iris? That's the flower that is thought to have originated from an ancient deity that descended to our world long long ago, is that it?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If old tales were to be believed." She replied.

"It is indeed a troubling situation, but I have faith in them finding this flower before nightfall." I took one last sip at the miso soup as well as one last bite of the grilled fish before the meal is thoroughly finish, "Thank you for the meal, Lady Ru'me, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, my Priestess." She bows her head before she lifts the tray of empty bowls and platters. She then immediately heads outside to clean the dishes.

Lady Ru'me is probably the closest person I'll have to a regular conversation, though she's not the perfect remedy. It's hard to pick up an interesting topic if they're just going to say yes and nod to everything you say, then again, that's better than nothing. With nothing else to do and hours left till the ritual, I guess drawing is the only logical solution. I grabbed my ink-filled brush and went back to drawing with the papers I have remaining in the room and returned to what I do best, drawing.

My brush went left, right, and circles, broad lines and thin ones too. The paper steadily gets soaked in ink as my brush passes it with every stroke drawing a plethora of sketches of the body in different positions including different angles to both challenge and sharpen my skills. Sitting, running, and jumping from angles of either front or back, left or right, and even downwards or upwards. Figures freely moving, without restraints or hesitation, though inanimate still exudes life. Eventually, I decided to step it up and soon began to draw self-

portraits. A small handheld mirror was available in my chamber for my convenience. I drew myself in many different ways, including hairstyles and even emotions that I can't express.

Art is more than a hobby to me, it has become a way for me to express myself, a means to communicate myself to the world.

I reach out for another piece of paper but my hands feel nothing. After a few scrambling my eyes turn to see empty space, well, except for one single piece left. I look around and see where other pieces went and all that I've met was used up, ink-filled paper scattered on my desk.

"Oh dear…"

The maidens are certainly going to wonder what happened to the stack of paper. With a quick sigh I begin to pick up the scribbled paper one by one, organizing them into a stack and promptly storing them away in some random drawer that just so happened to be near me. Now a new problem arises, what am I gonna do now? I look at the open window, the sky is perfectly clear and blue and a subtle wind brush past my face. As if something lit up inside my head I stood up and padded my priestess clothing making sure not a droplet of ink was visible, as well as straightening out the fabric avoiding wrinkles. I grabbed the last piece of paper as well as the brush and ink and went outside.

The Temple has a small garden located at the heart of the building, a commonplace for all workers of the Temple to gather around but due to the ongoing events it's currently desolate, which is good news to me. I happily enter the gazebo and sit on one of the four chairs that surrounds the table. The contemporary building provided me both shade and a three-hundred-sixty degrees view of the wonderful nature that has been growing in gardens for years on end, some can even be traced back hundreds of years ago when the foundations of the Temple was first laid.

Trees bearing violet and purple flowers litter the garden, as well as the dozens of lilies that lay above the perfectly clear water. The view was the perfect blend of complex nature and simple manmade structure. I soaked the brush in the ink and went to work. The natural shapes of the trees and branches were easy and fun to mimic, so are the overgrown vines that climb the posts of the gazebo. The chirps of birds help soothe my mind from the whispers that echo in my skull. Swirls, rigid, and wavy, my arms work in attempt to capture the beauty of this–

"Good day uhh, Miss Priestess."

I instinctively glanced at the high pitch noise that interrupted my thought process. It was a young maiden that stood beside me, bowing her head. She raised her and I finally saw how young she truly looks, no older than twelve, nervous understandably. Memories flooded back in, the time when I started being a maiden, I was exactly ten years old when I entered the Temple for the first time. This is probably her first time seeing a Priestess one on one, maybe even her first time considering that I don't recognize her face at all.

"Oh, good day to you too, young maiden." I greeted her with the most comforting voice I could, "What brings you here by my side?"

The girl fidgeted with her purple locks before uttering a word, "ummm… I was… I was curious about what you are doing and came here to… uhh… find out."

Deciphering what she just said, I can confidently guess that she was curious. humu humu, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell her. I grab the paper and show her my unfinished drawing, "You see this?" I can see her eyes sparkle in amazement, "I'm creating what's called, art, and it's a good way to express yourself in a way you normally couldn't."

"Cooool~," My heart felt warm seeing some act like this in front of me, so much so that a smile formed on my face without me noticing, "How did you make this?!"

I felt something within me be revitalized, an emotion I haven't felt since. Seeing someone genuinely gush over my art fills me with joy that I can't possibly have expected, "My my, someone's a bit excited. Do you have a passion for art too, young maiden?"

She nodded her head without hesitation, "Back home I used to draw me and my family doing things together like cleaning, cooking, eating, and and… I find it really fun to do!"

I couldn't help but giggle a bit, "you could say that… you had a fun- tastic time drawing, huh?"

She stared blankly at me before tilting her head in confusion. Someday someone will laugh at my puns, someday. Okay this is getting awkward, "Anyways… do–"

"Young Mirrni! Young Mirrni!" Both of our attention focused on the patio accompanied by hurried footsteps, "There you are!"

It was one of their elder maidens, she quickly made her way to us with haggard breaths, "Young Mirrni! What did I tell you about wandering away from me? You gave me a panic."

"Sorry, Miss Hiire, I was just curious and wanted to explore the Temple more." The young maiden, Mirrni, apologizes. The elder maidens then turned her eyes to me.

"My apologies for the inconveniences, Priestess" She bowed her head, "She's only been here for less than a week, I promise I won't make the same mistake again."

Her troubled expression makes me pity her, but her worries are understandable. You wouldn't want to lose a child in a maze-like structure like the Temple, but I also pity the child too. No doubt she'd get punished for this but, it's not like she did it in bad faith, children like her tend to be more free spirited. "You shouldn't apologize, Miss Hiire." I shook my head before placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder, "Young Mirrni here has been well behaved and has been quite a good company to me. Besides, Kids her age tend to be more curious afterall."

Looking at the elder maiden's face I can see a rush of relief before bowing to me once more, "Thank you for your consideration, Priestess."

Peace and serenity returns to my surroundings, as the two reconcile with each other. I look at the young maiden, she really reminds me of myself, so innocent and so curious. Man,

memories are definitely flooding back in right now, my first day as a maiden went about as well as one might expect for someone who's only ten years of age, lots of learning, and lots of figuring stuff out by yourself. I'm getting lost in the seas of memories that I hold dear, memories before my life got more complicated. I close my eyes to relish these unforgettable experiences, but the deeper I go, the more blurry it gets.

Oh gods…

The static, I place a hand on my head, my brain is getting dizzy as if I'm trying to fight something. My sense of hearing is getting flooded by whispers. No no no no, not this again, my skull thumping, as if something inside is trying to let itself out right now. The voices only got louder, pushing my thoughts away from my reach and blocking it with a wall of words.

"Would you like us to get some tea for you, Priestess?"

I almost jumped from my seat, my breathing heavy, and my mind still tired. I thought I got used to those voices. I glance at the two maidens who are still waiting for my answer, "Oh, that would be lovely." The two then presumably made their way to the kitchen area to prepare.

sigh…

I was not expecting that to hit me, I fear that it might only get more intense as time goes on. Maybe I should go back to drawing, that should do it, yeah… yeah. I pick up the brush and then dip it in ink before continuing.

Minutes come and go quickly as I hear footsteps getting closer and closer, my eyes glance at the origin and once again see the two heading towards me. Young Mirrni is holding a tray with a cup and a teapot as its contents with Miss Hiire closely following behind. Comparing their faces before and after, it tells me that they've mended they're bond as student and master. The girl approached the table to lay the tray on its flat surface. In the corner of my eye I can see Miss Hiire quietly clapping like a mother who's proud of their child.

"Well done!" She cheered, "consider this as the first task you've done for the Priestess. It's not everyday that someone like your age can do this."

"Thank you for your service, young Mirrni. I'm looking forward to your future as a maiden." I placed a head over her head, patting. Seeing her smile warms my soul inside as my ice cold demeanor melts to a small smile. In the meantime, Miss Hiire is out pouring some tea for me.

"I express my gratitude to your service." I speak to them, "Now if you excuse me, I'll be returning back to my own devices. Have a good rest of the day." The two replied with a bow before heading out.

And thus, silence returned to the scene. Going to my usual routine of dipping my brush in ink and letting it glide in this piece of paper. Yet, I feel uncomfortable, this silence usually provides me with a sense of peace and calmness, not anymore I guess. I can feel my hand stopping at its tracks whenever I hear even a sliver of noise fearing that my delusions would come and bite me. I lay idle more than I am actually doing anything, my eyes haven't even

moved and my body tensing like something is out there. I'm the prey, and that something is the predator. The breeze became cold, and the air feels… empty, if that's the right word to describe it.

I sip the tea that's been in front of me, hoping to calm my nerves. It worked, to an extent. My eyes wandered the scenery, like a sentry guard on duty tending to his nightly routine would. Suddenly, my eyes caught movement in the flora just outside this little gazebo, immediately my body tensed as the sound of rustling and fluttering followed suit. Maybe a bird, yeah… just a bird.

thud… CRASH!

I feel my soul almost jump from my body. I quickly looked around to see what made that noise and when I put my gaze on the floor I knew exactly what happened. I accidentally knocked over an inkwell off the table causing its black pigment to splatter all over the floor. I feel bad for the maidens who're gonna deal with this, definitely gonna leave a stain on the wood. Huh, why does it feel like it's moving? I look closely as the spill almost seems like it's beating, pulsing like it's alive. To my horror, the ink continued to spread across the floor, then up the wooden posts, then the ceiling, even the nature around it wasn't safe. My vision is soon engulfed in a black, abyss-like space as things around me disappear into a void.

Now I'm left standing, in a pitch black room. I can't sense the time, if it even exists in this "place". I frantically look around my vicinity, my head turning left and right checking my back frequently. Calm down, Ina'nis, calm down, you should be used to this by now, you're a Priestess. Close my eyes and breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out…

I opened my eyes and it was staring right at me. Its gaze befell upon my defenseless, meager body. Unlike before, silence floods my ears as a violent ringing follows. Its eye, glowing so prominently against the darkness, never broke contact with mine, and neither does my own. I'm paralyzed, my entire body feels like I'm being strangled.

The ringing became unbearable and with all the strength I have left, I forcefully thrash my body out of its invisible grasp, I forcefully screw my eyes shut as I eventually regain control of my own body. Slowly, I can feel its grip loosen before focusing all of my energy in this very moment.

Suddenly, I'm free. As if heavy chains were instantly removed from my body, it was so sudden that I almost lost my balance. My eyes open wide to see the familiar greenery that surrounds me as my heavy breathing accompanied the sound of rustling leaves. I look back at the puddle of ink, seeming like nothing has happened.

After that whole ordeal, I tried everything I could to distract myself. I tried going for a nap but I quickly found out that it was a horrible idea, I then tried pacing around the Temple and all that I've achieved was tired legs, I even tried to engage in some small talks with a couple of the Temple keepers, yeah, that didn't go far. It's now well into the afternoon and I'm tired. I wasn't expecting this day to go into such a downward spiral, and it only gets worse every time the sun gets closer to the horizon. This doesn't help considering that the ritual is being

held tonight, and with my most recent talk with Lady Ru'me, the room is ready along with the offerings. Speaking of offerings, there was one thing still missing.

Only one thing has yet to be acquired and no news from the scouting team has been received so far. The flower is the most important offering, it cannot be substituted or skipped over. When the first Priestess was bonded to the Old Ones, she used the iris flower that she possessed and, as the tale was told, it created the bridge between her and the book. Oh goodness, not only will I have to worry about these hallucinations, I also have to stress about being able to complete the ritual.

Well, on the flip side, these worries sure are a good way to distract myself from the voices, ahaha… ha… haa… This is not healthy for my mental health.

I remain silent in my quarters with a newly refilled tea laying on the table. The yellow orange hue of the setting sun brought in a wave of serenity and uncertainty. The realization that—if things go as planned—tomorrow would begin a new era of Eklipsa with me at the forefront, makes me feel nervous and even, uncertain. I'm sure mama and papa, and even my sister, would be proud to see their daughter lead the new generation of Eklipsans to greatness, bringing wealth and glory to the nation and cult that I swore allegiance to.

Not only would this change Eklipsa, this will change me too. How? Who knows? The records from the first Priestess are murky at best and "up to one's imagination" at worst, it doesn't help since the first Priestess' reign was short meaning any records are most likely from first short glances rather than long observations.

I took a sip from my cup to help soothe my nerves. These are stressful times and it'll only get worse from here. I stared emptily at the now, half empty teacup, as I reminisced. The sound of the crowd outside of the Temple faintly reaches my ears. Tonight is the final night of the feast and the people are ending it with humble prayers, a stark contrast to the events of yesterday.

My ears suddenly picked up something, the sound of galloping and metal clanking grew louder as it got nearer, my best guess would be the scouts that Lady Ru'me was talking about this morning, hopefully not returning with empty hands. The horses neigh as I would presume the result of a grinding halt at the Temple entrance. Knowing that they would be approaching me first, I waited attentively. But this wait dragged on for longer than I would've liked, my heart is thumping for reasons I can't describe at the moment. Soon footsteps can be heard approaching my chambers, I readied myself, straightened the creases of my garments, tidied my hair from stray strands, and fixed my posture, hoping to hide the fact that I've been uneasy.

A knock came before the door slid open revealing one of the more elder maidens before someone else entirely entered the room. His gold trimmed and colorful stone littered armor plates were a huge giveaway to who he was, it was the Captain. He approached me before taking off his helmet revealing his graying hair, I then stood up as a response.

"Captain, certainly wasn't expecting you to be part of the expedition. I thought you'd be supervising the new recruits, I heard thousands are lining up today."

"I was, but I took it upon myself to contribute to this ritual and search for the flower along with my trusted men" His confident smile never fades along with his confidence.

"So, what's the result?" I asked curiously.

"Glad you asked!" He was clearly happy, he's not even trying to hide it. He reached out to a pouch that was attached to his belt and pulled out something that's glowing.

"We found it…"

My eyes widened as he presented to me the mythical iris flower. its purple petals, some pointing up while some pointing down makes it have one of the most unique shapes a flower ever has. The flower glows intensively as it's reflected on his palms and my face. I feel a tidal wave of relief and happiness. Suddenly, the dark aura that surrounded me all day immediately dissipated and replaced with the feeling of joy and positivity. Its fragrance is sweet like candy and its beauty unparalleled by many. Legends of old don't seem like "legends" anymore, especially after seeing this illusive flower in person.

"It took us a while to find, this fella right here was hiding in a pile of bushes, it was only when one of my men noticed something glowing in the greenery…." He kept on talking to

me, but I didn't pay much attention. I was too mesmerized by this flower, "…and to think we were about to just give up and return home and…"

My ear tuned in and out of the conversation, my mind was more focused on the thing in front of me. Despite its unmoving and static nature, I can feel it sing a silent melody. I listened to this mute song intently, hearing its nonexistent lyrics accompanied with its soundless music.

"…With this the ritual can continue as planned!" He exclaimed with joy, it's only then when I finally turn my gaze away from the specimen and towards the Captain, only hearing the tail end of his story.

I look at him and slowly back at the flower, "So it can… So it can…" I repeated mindlessly.

Hours went by and night befell upon Eklipsa, marking the third and final night of the feast. The citizens continue to pile around the shrines to give their offerings and prayers to me, the Priestess. This is so far the biggest gathering in the nation's history, I mean, who wants to miss this once in a lifetime event? Certainly not me if I was in their shoes. The maidens were up and about once more, working double time as the shrines continue to get flooded by visitors. The Temple Knights and Guards are trying their best to keep order in the ever increasing sea of people that flooded the courtyard.

The scripture requires that the ritual should be done and completed at the stroke of midnight. I waited patiently, with the flower at hand. It keeps me company and I feel a sense of security and general peace when I hold it, a property in which I am glad that it has. Although the sense of nervousness still lingers around me, I still don't know what this ritual would do to me, the scripture only describes the process not the experience itself. I guess I'm about to find it out one way or the other, there's no room for second guesses. I have to bear it, or I fail as a Priestess.

As midnight drew nearer, the people on the grounds dissipated one by one leaving the courtyard empty and less crowded making the jobs of the staff much easier and therefore, quicker and eventually only a few dozen night owls remained before, they too also left leaving it in complete silence.

The night became quiet leaving only the light breeze and the geckos to fill the ambience of the dead night. I heard a knock on the door and my head immediately glanced at the source of the sound before it slid open revealing Lady Ru'me as humble as ever. She wore a different outfit than usual, the one she's wearing is much more intricate in design with patterns embossed on its long cloak. As soon as she looked at me she immediately bowed her head, "My Priestess, the time has come."

I look outside the window, taking a glance at the crescent moon, illuminating the earth below. I do this for a quick second before returning my gaze towards her and standing up without saying a word other than a simple nod. I pinned the flower on the fabric wrapped around my waist, adjusted my attire, and tidied my bangs before approaching the supervisor and leaving the room.

I took the same path I took for the past couple of days spent communicating with the Ancient Ones. Before all of this, I rarely took this path on a daily basis—and perhaps the past few Priestesses before me thought the same thing too—only taking it on very special occasions. Lady Ru'me took the courage to walk besides me as well but, judging by her body language, she felt disturbed and uneasy going down the corridor. As much as I appreciate her commitment as my supervisor, I don't want to see her hurt herself so I took the initiative.

I stop at my tracks and looked at her, "Lady Ru'me, if you can't handle it you are free to stay here and wait for me."

"But…"

I immediately cut her off, "This is a task between me and the Great Old Ones, I'm sure you can understand." As much as I don't like using my status to force someone into doing something, in this case, it comes in handy.

She hesitated, fumbling in her words and fidgeting her fingers, "I understand, my Priestess."

"Very well then."

I spun around and resumed the silent procession alone. It has become bearable at least, I don't know if I got used to it or maybe this flower has something to do with it. It's a wild theory but, considering its effects on me for the past few hours I'm starting to believe that it has some kind of magic. The scent of violets from incense is just as overwhelming as the feeling of darkness filled the air around me. The clacking of my sandals echo throughout the hallways and the creaking of the wooden floors with every step are the only sounds that meet my ears.

One shoji remains between me and the chamber, and with one swift push, I'm now face to face with the Ancient Ones. I approached the pedestal and kneeled in front of them. I hear the

echoes, louder than the ones that I heard before, it has more energy…more life. Its eyes glow red, bright red, brighter than before as it sees me bow my head in reverence.

Priestess, is everything ready?

I took a deep breath, "Everything the scripture has told us to."

I see… it appears you've acquired an iris flower, well done. I'll ask you this again, are you ready? Ina'nis…

I raise my head so that my eyes meet theirs.

Are you ready to commit everything to my service? Are you ready to give up everything to serve directly under me, the almighty and the holiest?

Here it is, the point of no return. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, "I, Ninomae Ina'nis, Priestess of the Ancient Ones, Apostle to the Great Old Ones. I vow to thee, to continue to serve under thine guidance and to spread the word of thine greatness to every corner of the earth, till I breathe my last breath."

…Very good, now, shall we continue the ritual?

I stood up and just like before, picked up the book and carried it from my waist and began to retrace my path back and it didn't take long until I finally was able to reunite with Lady Ru'me. She seemed relieved when she saw me and then immediately bowed as the Sacred Book came into her view. From there on we continued our procession to the designated ritual place. The chosen location is on the more elevated area of the Temple named the Chamber of Moonlight, decades ago this was where the Priestess usually stays bathing in the lightreflecting off of the moon but renovations from other Priestess' moved the quarters from where it is today and the Chamber of Moonlight became a ceremonial area instead.

We had to climb up a few stairs to get to the entrance and there I saw the Temple Knights in cloaks similar to the supervisor's but the difference being that their hood is pulled up covering their faces. One by one the knights would bow their heads as we passed by. Soon we reached the peak and there the entrance lay open for us to go inside.

The moment I entered I saw even more cloaked people, if I were to guess these were the Elder Maidens or higher standing maidens that rank higher than the candidates but rank lower than the Priestess. Nostalgic, I remember this exact scene back in my inauguration as Priestess, albeit in a more brighter setting. The interior contained mirrors on two opposite walls of the building; wooden colonnades surrounded the centered in a rectangle, speaking of center, the middle is lower by a few centimeters; as I look above I see a massive open skylight, above that lay the crescent moon, shining it's been of light towards the bare podium. The building is filled with violet petals, scattered all over the room and violet incense making the air aromatic.

Let us commence. Place me on the podium and then we shall finally be one.

I soak up all my fear and stepped forward to the center. The Elder Maidens followed suit and went to their assigned positions, surrounding me with their presence. I bathed in the moonlight that showered me as I placed the book on its podium, offering were standing by its side and I guess I should offer mine as well. I place the iris flower between me and the Sacred Book and see it glow brighter against the silver moonlight.

Taking one last look at the Book before looking up to the moon and clasping my hand together. I breathe steadily as I hear the Elders chant their prayers.

"Oro te, sub lunae lumine, ut tuam gloriam mihi afferas, viresque conserves et crescas. O sacrum librum, coram te corpus meum ad tuum obsequium offero, ad maiorem hominis bonum sub tuo nomine ut proficias. Da mihi gloriam tuam, da virtutem tuam."

I repeat their prayers in silence and with every word I feel the pressure around get heavier and heavier, using all of my strength to not collapse. I felt a strong breeze coming from seemingly nowhere and slowly those voices and echoes returned, I inhaled, trying my best to ignore it and continued my prayer.

I feel something slithering at my feet, I stiffen as the thing grabs the heel of my foot. The voices continue to get louder as the breeze turns into a storm, I feel my clothing sway to the chaotic wind. I remain calm, taking another deep breath to chant another prayer.

"Ack!"

I drop to my knees as I grit my teeth trying to contain the painful yelp. I feel something strike my spine, not from the outside, but from within. I feel my body ache like needles being inserted directly into the nerves. I slightly open my teary eyes to see the giant violet fog that fills the room, mix that with the winds and both form a giant vortex with me and the Sacred Book in it. I endured as I felt the thing wrap up and around my legs, eventually I could feel it surrounding my torso, I opened my eyes more to see my hands now painted in a dark ink-like liquid. The pain soon became unbearable as I screwed my eyes shut, hoping that my suffering would end soon.

Then it reaches my brain and my mind can't even comprehend what is even happening anymore, all I can feel is darkness. The voices became louder, shouting inside my skull.

In an instant, everything subsided. It took me a second to compose myself before opening my eyes. The violet fog evaporated into nothingness as my eyes were presented to a destroyed interior; splinters and pieces from the wooden columns were scattered about, shattered glass from the broken mirrors, and bodies of—hopefully—unconscious maidens, yet one big detail overshadowed everything. Between the rubble lay giant tentacles and judging by its positions, these were the culprit of the destruction. I soon looked for the source of these tentacles and following it led me to… me, these tentacles came from me or at least that's what I initially thought.

I looked around even more before I focused on a piece of shattered mirror, I crawled on my knees towards it to get a better view. My eyes widened accompanied with a gasp.

I… I'm like a new person now. My once short bob cut is now so long that it passes my thighs with the most surprising change being my side bangs. It's definitely not hair-like, raise my hand to hold it and it feels squishy and it feels… weird. I changed my focus and looked up above my bangs and saw a tiara-like thing, it's yellow and it consists of five diamond shapes. Looking further above and I see two small flaps the same color as my hair, I can control it which is cute, I guess. Finally, looking even further than that I noticed a big halo, subtly glowing in the dark.

Moving my eyes downwards I see myself wearing a choker and beneath that is some violet clothing that's rather skimpy hugging my skin as it accentuates my petite body. Glancing at my torso I saw a pair of wings, definitely too small to fly with and along with my wings I wore another piece of garment of darker pigment. I turn around and see a giant mass of tentacles that's appearing out of nowhere behind my back.

So this is me, huh…

The ritual is a success. Well done, Priestess.

Startled, I looked upwards and saw the Sacred Book floating above, glancing at me with its glowing red eye.

From now on, we are one, together till the very end.

A new era is now upon us.

Several weeks have passed since the ritual and many things have happened. The army is growing exponentially higher than we expected initially, which overwhelmed the trainers with their sheer numbers. I watched them train, sword fighting, shield bearing, endurance courses, and disciplinary training. Today, a batch of new recruits gathered at the courtyard of the Temple. I silently gaze upon them from my quarters, feeling a sense of uncertainty within my body.

You seem a bit down, Priestess. Something on your mind recently?

I turned around and saw the Ancient Ones looming around me. Its eye staring right at my soul, "It's nothing." I replied before staring back out of the window.

Tsk tsk tsk… You seriously think you'll fool me with that answer? You're wrong. Now answer me truthfully, Priestess. What seems to be the problem?

I hesitated, I'm pushed into a corner so quickly. Its glowing eye stared at me intently, looking to squeeze the answer right out of me. Ever since the ritual our relationship between the apostle and the Ancient Ones has changed drastically, especially in terms of communication.

Ever since we are quote, unquote, together, keeping secrets from them has become increasingly more difficult, "I'm… just unsure of the future that lies ahead."

Rest assured that your worries are nothing more than nonsense.

A bright future awaits us, Priestess, and I am sure of that. Although, there is one variable that remains of utmost concern.

I raised an eyebrow and curiously asked, "What is it?"

A young blonde girl has gotten ahold of a Relic that she shouldn't have. A Relic so powerful that if given to the wrong hands, can destroy everything as we know it. We must act quickly, Priestess.

Lest we want our efforts to go to waste.

Author's Note:

Hmmm, I wonder who that flower is a reference to? I hope you guys like the worldbuilding I'm setting up here, it's basically my take of Hololive lore.

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