From a dream to another...
"Well, we're lost. What are you gonna do now?"
Alexa looks at Mark, annoyed. He turns his face, trying not to be intimidated.
"Why are you saying this? It's not my fault."
"It's totally your fault! It was because you were spacing out that we're in the middle of nowhere!"
"I told you not to follow me."
"Like I'm going to leave you alone. You would probably be hit by a car."
"I'm not that stupid."
"I have my doubts. Besides, I heard that this place is very dangerous at night."
"Dangerous how?"
"I don't know, but who knows what kinds of perverts are hiding in these alleys."
"What alleys? And how will you being with me help me?"
"Well, at least we can pretend that we… um, never mind."
"What? Don't stop talking after you start."
"Never mind! Idiot."
Alexa quickens her pace.
"What is her problem?"
Mark yawns. It was about seven o'clock at night, a little late for tourists to be walking on the street, but he wasn't worried. All this dangerous talk seemed to be Alexa's exaggeration, or rather, an excuse for her to stay together with him. Not that Mark cared - they were friends, after all - but she could be a little sticky at times.
Without warning, Alexa stops.
"H-Hey, Mark. Is that a woman?"
"Hmm? Where?"
A beautiful woman with sparkling white hair and an outfit too extravagant to be fashionable round the corner. Her showy appearance amidst the darkness of the street kept them both paralyzed.
"Ah, what a problem. I don't know where I am, or when I am... If only I could get some information..."
The elegant woman catches sight of the two astonished young students.
"Hey, you two!"
"Awawawawa! I knew it! A pervert!"
"Wait, Alexa!"
Alexa takes Mark by the hand and runs away.
"Wait! Why does everyone keep running from me? *sigh* I'm not going anywhere like this. There's no help…"
In a sudden flash, the woman disappears.
***
"Alexa! Wait! Stop!"
After realizing that she had already run a dozen meters, Alexa finally brakes.
"Ah, sorry! I was really scared!"
Mark pulls out his hand in which Alexa was still holding.
"This doesn't give you the right to drag me around! Look, because of your run, we're even more lost!"
Actually they were in front of the hotel.
"See? Hah… Everything worked just perfectly! Hah… I knew... I should've stayed with you!"
"Catch your breath before you say that."
Alexa takes a deep breath.
"Well, at least we can rest now."
"I see… so this is where you live."
"Waaaaahhh! Pervert!"
It seems that the "pervert" has been with them all this time.
"I'm not a pervert. I just wanted information."
"What?"
"See, I said."
"But you're dressed like you're…"
Alexa looks at the woman from top to bottom. Her looks activates a part of Alexa's memory.
"Any problem?"
"No, it's just… you really look like the goddess we saw…"
Despite saying this, Alexa wasn't really sure, as it was difficult to see the appearance of the goddess through the crystal. Still, she could catch some details of her face and clothing that gave her some resemblance.
"You think so?"
Mark takes a better look at the woman.
"You don't?"
"I don't know. I was sleeping, I don't remember…"
"Ugh…
The fact that Mark slept the entire trip gives Alexa a headache. That is exactly why they were in this situation. He couldn't be more useless. But there was no point in complaining about it now. In order to change the subject, she looks at the woman again.
"But she is very much like her. Are you cosplaying?"
"Cos… playing? What is it?"
"You know, when you dress up like a fictional character…"
"I see. But I'm not a fictional. I'm myself."
"That's not what I… you know what, forget it. So, what kind of information do you want?"
"Let's see… first…"
The woman takes her hand to her chin.
"What happened to the Klaus Empire?"
Alexa and Mark went silent. What a weird question to ask right now, they thought. But after offering help, Alexa couldn't ignore her.
"What?"
"You know, the Klaus Empire. The one who brought suffering and despair to all living beings..."
"Yes, I know, everyone knows. It was dispersed two and a half thousand years ago, wasn't it?"
The woman takes a step back. The shock is too big for her, she can barely stand on her feet.
"Dispersed?! You mean that it doesn't exist anymore?!"
"No… ? (What's wrong with this lady?) That's how empires work. They grow, grow and when they can't grow anymore, they disappear."
"What about angels?! The fairies?! The spirits of the forest?!"
"They were freed, of course."
"Freed?!"
Each of Alexa's statements is like a spear piercing through the woman's heart. She was not prepared to hear such shocking news.
"Yes, after years of slavery, it was the right thing to do... "
"And where are they now ?!"
"Right here. We live togehter."
"Together?!"
"Yes. I mean, there are a lot of non-humans even at my school."
"I see!"
The woman takes her hand to her mouth in surprise. Mark can't help but give her a suspicious look.
"(This lady is too excited about outdated news ... What's with her?)"
Although confused by the woman's behavior, Alexa continues to explain.
"Well, there's still a little bit of prejudice and all, but we're working hard to get over it. Queen Reyna is a very good person, she will fight against all racial differences and… hey!"
The woman falls with her knees on the floor and, ignoring the two in front of her, starts to cry.
"So it's all over! Finally… my dream came true! I did it, sisters! I did it!"
"H-Hey..."
Mark approaches the woman whose tears are streaming.
"I'm thinking for a while, who are you? What's up with all these strange questions?"
"Oh, sorry. This must have been sudden for you."
The woman gets up and regains her composure.
"I am Caelia, the Goddess of Heavens."
"Huh?!"
"The Goddess of… what?!"
The woman's claim couldn't be more unbelievable. She couldn't be the goddess. They just saw her inside the shrine, trapped in the crystal as she always was.
"But I thought it was obvious. After so long, have humans forgotten what their goddesses are like?"
Despite the nonsense she was talking about, the woman spoke with such certainty that they disregard the chance that she was making fun of them. But it was still too absurd for them to take seriously.
"So you're saying that you are Caelia, the goddess who was inside the crystal?"
"Yes."
"And after all this time, four thousand years frozen, you finally wake up?"
"Exactly."
Alexa looks to Mark, concerned.
"But this is…"
"Yes I know."
"Finally. I thought you were going to run away again."
Caelia breathes a sigh of relief. All the people she has tried to communicate so far have avoid her for some reason. It's as if they're afraid of her. She didn't understand, she was always recognized by everyone and this had never happened before. But knowing that these teenagers would help her calmed her down a little.
"This lady is mentally ill. We should take her to the hospital."
"What?"
Turns out she were very wrong.
"Wait! I'm not sick! I am who I am!"
"Yes, you already said that. You think we're idiots?"
"I'm telling the truth! I'm a goddess!"
"Then prove it. Make some miracle right now and we believe."
"… "
Unable to hide her frustration at the distrust of those who should be her faithful servants, Caelia steps back.
"Very well. How about this?"
The goddess raises both hands as if waiting for something to fall from the sky. She closes her eyes, concentrates, and then...
"Haa!"
An awkward silence follows her failed demonstration. The two students watch her immobile, not knowing how to react.
"Huh?"
Caelia makes another effort, but nothing happens. She brings her hands to her sight.
"My powers! They…"
"Well? We're waiting."
"I can't... I can't use my powers! Maybe I'm stunted by all these years of sleep... So that teleport must've used everything I had!"
"I knew it..."
Alexa makes a gesture with her hands, as if she has just unraveled the mystery.
"Oh, I got now! She's a chuuni!"
"Chuuni? What is a chuuni?"
"A person with personality disorder who lives in his own world. They say that they are people who have difficulty developing social skills, so they like to imagine things to meet their need to communicate and not feel alone."
"I'm not a chunni! I'm a goddess!"
Disbelieving her claims, Mark turns his back on Caelia.
"I know I know. Come on, Alexa. This is a waste of time."
"No, wait! Why don't you believe me?"!
"Sorry, but it's getting late. You should go home now."
Mark and Alexa leave Caelia alone. She looks down, feeling defeated.
"Home? Where is my home?"
***
Sweeping the pieces of crystal with his feet, a man walks towards the pedestal where the goddess should be. His uniform and composure say that he is a high ranking military. He takes a phone from one of his pockets and puts it to his ear, the feminine voice inside speaks to him.
"Well?"
"It's true. The goddess isn't here."
"I see. Is there the possibility that the monument was hijacked?"
"I doubt it. The crystal shattered from the inside out, as if the body had come out on its own. Not even with our technology we were able to damage the crystal."
"What can I say… this is going to be a problem for the next few days. "
"Don't worry, we'll take care of that."
"Please."
The man gives a signal. Several other lower-ranking military men enter the sanctuary and begin to inspect the site. One of these men approaches the one who called them, who was obviously his superior.
"Put this place on quarantine. I don't want anyone near for the next days. Take some shards for analysis. Also, keep an eye out if anyone suspicious appears."
"Yes, sir!"
The high rank military man heads towards the entrance, where a blonde girl stays in place, frightened. He puts his hand on her head.
"Thanks for your cooperation."
In a few moments, that silent and mystical place became a fuss. As it was night, there were few people on the street, but some were caught by the curiosity. "The next few days are going to be hectic," they thought.
Weekly Power Status
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