From Real to Realm

Val turned just in time to see Qhemeria approaching. “Qhemeria.”

However, this time there was no divine glow to blur the details. Her long blonde hair fell freely down her back, with soft bangs framing striking blue eyes that looked almost too gentle for a goddess. She wore a white silk dress trimmed in gold, elegant rather than showy, the fabric falling in clean lines nearly to the floor. Without the haze of divinity around her, Val was reminded all over again how easy Qhemeria was to look at. It also reminded her how easily she had come to trust her.

“Staring isn’t very polite, Valnarei,” she chided.

Val shook her head. “Just Val is fine. The first time I met you, the glow blocked out a lot of details.”

Qhemeria stopped in front of her. “Well, that was a different situation.”

Val looked around, then at the goddess. “Where are we? I haven’t heard a peep from you since you reincarnated me.”

“Well, I wanted to check in on you,” Qhemeria said, walking past Val. “There’s also something to discuss.”

Instead of staying put, Val decided to follow her. “Which is it? Check in on me? Or discuss something?”

Qhemeria’s face scrunched up. “Why can’t it be both? I brought you to this world, I want to know how you’re acclimating.”

“Almost a year later,” Val scoffed. “Took your sweet time checking in.”

Qhemeria tilted her head. “I am a goddess. You know that, right?”

Val rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know. Sorry, I’ll behave.”

“Oh? Is that who I think it is?”

Qhemeria pinched the bridge of her nose. “Oh no, not her.”

Val turned just in time to see a shorter woman striding toward them with the kind of confidence that demanded attention. Her deep red hair was braided into a single thick braid that swung behind her in time with her hips. Her sharp green eyes practically glittered with mischief as they raked over Val’s body. Her outfit was a daring blend of red silk and sheer fabric with small designs woven into the sheer sections. The combination of a low-cut and a high hip slit in the dress made its intentions well known. It was the kind of thing that would have looked ridiculous on anyone else. However, she wore it with the kind of confidence that dared you to look away.

And Val was having a hard time looking away.

“I like the look in your eyes,” she said, placing a hand to Val’s chest. “Very naughty. Just what I like to see in someone with my gift.”

Qhemeria snapped her fingers. “Valnarei, this is Feyris, Goddess of Lust.”

Feyris grinned. “I’m the one who gave you that little passive of yours.”

Val’s pants were starting to get tight.

“Would you stop trying to scramble her brains? This is an important meeting.”

“Oh come on,” Feyris said, glancing at Qhemeria. “I’m just having a bit of fun.”

She removed her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Val nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Feyris winked at Val before turning to Qhemeria. “So, have you told her what the meeting is about?”

Qhemeria shook her head. “I figured it would be best to let Thalyes explain.”

“Who is Thalyes?” Val asked, walking between them. “Also, you said an ‘important meeting’. That’s a bit different than us just discussing something.”

Feyris tutted. “You should be more direct, Qhemeria. It makes things so much simpler.”

Val could tell there was a double entendre there, but ignored it. “Are you going to tell me? Or will I have to wait until I meet this Thalyes you mentioned?”

Qhemeria sighed. “I’ll let him explain. We’re almost there.”

It wasn’t the answer Val wanted. However, she didn’t pry since apparently she’d get answers soon.

The hallways didn’t change even as they walked. The height of the ceiling stayed the same, the marble didn’t fade to something else, and the soft lighting persisted. It was eerie how uniform this place was.

“We’re here.” Qhemeria knocked on the door in front of her.

A few seconds later, it opened. “Come in.”

Val heard a man’s voice, but couldn’t see him just yet. Only once they filed through the doorway did Val finally see the man.

He was tall, easily half a foot taller than her. He had short brown hair with bangs that hung down, threatening to touch the frames of his reading glasses. A thick, well-kept brown beard hid much of his expression as he glanced up at them. He wore navy colored scholar’s robes with purple trim. When everyone was through the door, he set a book down.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Christina,” he said, taking his glasses off and smiling at her.

Val hated the fact that the first thing she noticed was how handsome he was. His eyes were intense, as if looking through her at all times.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, but you can just call me Valnarei.”

He glanced at the goddesses. “So, she’s committed to this life, regardless of the circumstances.”

Qhemeria nodded. “It seems so. Valnarei, this is Thalyes, the God of Knowledge.”

Val could tell there was something else going on. “Alright, what’s going on here? Qhemeria lied, saying this was just a small discussion, but Feyris mentioned an important meeting. Which is it?”

Thalyes set his glasses on the large desk covered in books and scrolls. “It’s important, utterly so.”

“I figured as much. A lie of omission is still a lie,” she said, glaring at Qhemeria.

Feyris stayed silent, contradicting their initial meeting in the hallway.

“Has Qhemeria contacted you at all before today?” He asked, standing from the desk.

Val shook her head. “Nope. Told me I died, said I was getting a second chance at life, then dropped me in this body. Not a peep since. Why?”

Even the beard couldn’t hide how tense his expression became. “Would you like to tell her? Or should I?”

Silence hung in the air as Val looked between Thalyes and Qhemeria.

“Okay, what the fuck is going on? Tell me what?”

Feyris wouldn’t even make eye contact with Val.

“Do you remember what I told you when you asked me the purpose of choosing you?”

Val turned around. “I do. You said it was to save the original soul of this body.”

Qhemeria stepped forward, taking a deep breath. “That’s part of it.”

“Part of it?”

She nodded. “The original girl was unique in a way we thought only she could be. As generations pass, certain people exhibit a resonance with the divine. It’s rare, only a handful in a generation.”

Val looked down at her hands. “The original girl was such a person?”

“She was, until our divine essence started killing her.”

Val looked up, eyes wide. “Your divine essence was killing her soul?! Then couldn’t you have just taken it away?!”

Qhemeria shook her head. “If there had been another way to save her, I would have taken it.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Val asked, hands tensing.

Thalyes stepped forward. “In a way we can’t explain, you also have a natural affinity for our essence.”

Time slowed down for Val. The past year started flitting through her mind. A specific explosion of magic flashed through her mind. Her affinity backfired so negatively that she’d been knocked unconscious from the reaction. Then came everything else she’d been through, what she’d seen, and who she lost. It clicked. 

“You didn’t just save me because you felt sorry for me, did you?”

The question made Qhemeria flinch. “No, I didn’t.”

Val grit her teeth. “I didn’t have a choice either, did I?!” She stepped forward, clenching her fists.

Thalyes stepped between them. “Valnarei, your anger is justified. Acting on it here would not help you.”

His eyes were glowing, his hands tensing with a power she could feel in her chest just being near.

“You lost one pawn and decided I was a good replacement,” she said, turning away. She took a few breaths, running her hands through her hair. “All of this because you couldn’t risk losing someone beneficial to the gods.”

Qhemeria stepped forward. “I was out of time, out of options, and I made a choice. I didn’t lie when I said this was a second chance for you.”

Val laughed. “Maybe not, but you left out quite the fucking bomb, don’t ya think? I mean, fuck, you could’ve at least told me about the body I’d be inhabiting!”

Thalyes placed a hand on Val’s shoulder. “Can I at least explain why Qhemeria made such a decision?”

Val pushed his hand off her shoulder. “You dragged me here, doubt I can leave at will.”

“You can be angry with her and still know this wasn’t done lightly,” Feyris said, gently rubbing Qhemeria’s back.

“Those who are gifted with a resonance with our divine essence are unique; we’ve covered that part,” he said, walking to his desk to grab a specific book. “What makes them unique is their ability to harness said divine essence. At their greatest, they become champions of divine will.”

He took a moment to flip through the book to a page, as if he knew exactly where to stop. Then he held it out for Val.

She took it and started skimming the page.

“When someone with this resonance is born, we place a seal on their soul. It has been a little over a century since the last time we felt the need to break a seal.”

Qhemeria nodded. “His name was Mathias Gelrund.”

He nodded. “This was in the third era of Phylandair’s growth. For years, people were pushing into the dungeon. During that time, the death toll was growing rapidly. After a lengthy discussion, we released his seal, allowing him to grow beyond what is considered normal.”

Qhemeria stepped next to Val. “I placed a similar seal on your soul, Valnarei.”

Val looked up from the book. “But why me? What is the purpose of choosing me?”

“It was never about replacing a girl. It was about preserving the chance that, if needed, someone could still fill that role,” Thalyes stated bluntly. “We may need your help. We do not yet know what is coming in the months ahead. However, we wanted to tell you the truth before calling on you.”

Val slapped the book closed. “You think I’d really be willing to help you now?”

“Not us,” Feyris said, shaking her head. “For those who’d suffer if we’re right.”

Val rubbed her thumbs across the rough leather cover of the book. Immediately, she thought of her family, her friends, even those she barely knew.

“So I’m meant to help protect those who can’t do so themselves?” Val asked, handing the book back to Thalyes.

“That is the hope,” Thalyes said, setting the book aside.

“I have conditions, then.”

Thalyes smiled softly. “I’d expect nothing less of someone as headstrong as yourself.”

“I want to be kept in the loop from now on,” Val said, crossing her arms. “If something is coming, I don’t want to wait until it’s bearing down on me to know about it.”

“Understandable. Right now, we aren’t sure if there truly is any threat,” Thalyes said, sitting on his desk. “A god has disappeared, that is all we know right now.”

“Pretty fucking vague if you ask me. How do you just ‘lose’ a god?”

Qhemeria shook her head. “We didn’t ‘lose’ him. He was gone one morning, and we do not know his whereabouts.”

Val rolled her eyes. “Sure. Next thing, you don’t get to make decisions for me without my consent anymore.”

Qhemeria glanced at Thalyes, but he stayed quiet.

“We won’t, not again,” Qhemeria said, nodding.

Val sighed. “Good. Now, since you’re the god of knowledge and all that, can you tell me why I can’t earn a learned technique?”

Thalyes raised an eyebrow. “Walk me through what is happening.”

“I just hit level five. I’ve spent months training and fighting that whole time,” she said, throwing her hands up. “But for whatever fucking reason, the system has yet to give me a learned technique.”

Qhemeria flinched at the cursing, while Feyris only giggled.

“That is odd,” he said, walking up to her. “Do you mind if I check?”

Val held her arms out to the side. “Be my guest.”

Thalyes placed his hand on her forehead and closed his eyes. Val could feel a familiar tingling in her body, but it was off in its own way.

“I see what might be the problem.”

She chuckled. “Finally, some fucking answers.”

“Valnarei! Please, watch the language,” Qhemeria chided.

Feyris giggled. “Ah, leave her alone. I think she’s earned a few.”

Thalyes rolled his eyes. “Qhemeria swapped your souls because she was pressed for time. However, we didn’t account for how your soul might resonate with our world and systems.” He stepped back. “Someone born here naturally connects with the system. It recognizes them as easily as they recognize it.”

“Okay… and?”

“Your soul is fighting against the system.”

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