Chương 86: Belief (I)
Snow wondered if Rodney was joking. The Players knew about the Native circumstances when it came to a dungeon. Especially in what they had just gone through, not even twenty-four hours. She had wondered if all these Players had similar thoughts, but from the look of it, she knew they did.
"Why are you trying to rope me in?" Snow asked bluntly, knowing full well that there was more to this than meets the eye. "Did you forget that the Natives would be stuck in the dungeon?" She was being selfish for not wanting to go back inside the dungeon again. She disliked her pitiable self of wanting to stay alive, and she didn't feel like the Saintess the people were calling her by.
It was an annoying itch that kept her coming back to the word, haunting her and reminding her of her failures and her hopes. It wasn't like she hated the process of healing someone. It became a lot easier as she became a lot more comfortable in her skill. It was like she could feel and see the energy work like a masterpiece. Every time, the feeling got stronger to the point where she could close her eyes and envision what it would be like.
"Why else?" Rodney said, "You are a priestess. The one who had resurrected my people. Don't you want to end these monster wars? Save the people, be a hero?" He was excited at the last few words.
"You want to play a Hero? Why?" Snow asked, trying to understand the mind of the guild master. What was it that made his Players want to become something so incredible? What drove them? Was it that fame and honour would make a man or a woman? She couldn't quite tell. She, too, had inklings of such feelings that would crop up at random times. Swayed by the emotions, she knew too well at the will to be alive.
The definition of the Hero changed over time, but they wanted to be special to the society that had never really gone away. She wouldn't lie that she never had such a thought as it was deeply rooted in her psyche.
"To leave behind a legacy." Rodney said, "to become something more than just a member of society, but the most important thing...to change history."
Snow took a moment of what he said to heart. To make an imprint in society and to change the way the flow of the world worked. One could say it was a fickle thing to accomplish, but another would say it was a truly remarkable accomplishment.
"The world is turning, Ms Snow," Rodney said with strength in his voice as he gazed upon her. He didn't seem phased by his grandiose words of commitment. There was a spark in him that would not go away, and Snow had seen this spark before in many young women and men, who wanted to make a mark in history.
Whether it be in their world or Snow's, these Players had become a part of Snow Planet's History. Could she say it was for the good or just an illusion that they were brought ? She wasn't sure.
"And we are in the middle of the storm. Where this storm goes, we don't know, but we must keep moving. Staying here doing nothing makes us targets. The past is behind us, Ms Snow, the present is where we are at, and the future is what I make of it."
"You are right." Snow stood up, "The past is behind us. The present is now what paves the way for the future." His words rung in her soul, awakening her in her momentary slumber. Why has she forgotten these words, and from whom had she heard it from? This was not the first time.
An aching pain echoed in her mind, a flash of memory dipped into her head. The words "Welcome...home..." Echoed loudly in his mind, telling her that she remembered that voice somewhere.
She shook her head. The voice kept ringing over and over again like a whisper that would never go away.
"Are you alright?" Rodney stepped forward, trying to help her out.
"Yes," Snow stopped him from getting too close to her. Even still, Rodney still came closer, helping her up onto her feet as she swayed. His touch left a tingling feeling on his shoulder.
Another aching pain of her memory erupted on her mind. This time it was a quick flash that burned into her skull—a woman who stood underneath the light. The blinding light took over all her mind, her stomach flipped a few times, and her body felt a bit weak.
"Welcome home, my daughter." The memory amplified until the blinding flash of light took over as her mind and swept her to the moment.
"Welcome home, my daughter." The voice of her mother resounded in her mind.
Snow was on the floor, blinded by the bright light. She couldn't see the shadow in front of her, making it impossible to see. All she could do was make out a figure of a human that stretched out its hand at her.
Snow hesitantly took it, helping herself up. "Who are you?"
"I am your mother."
"Mom?" Snow was unsure why she was meeting her mother here; she couldn't even see her figure. "Wait, you aren't my mother."
Snow could tell that it wasn't her mother by the way she spoke, the chirpy smiles and excited small bounces of her foot weren't there. She was too calm that it felt almost fake. "Who are you?"
The bright light started to fade, becoming a lot easier to see. The shadows deepened and formed into shapes. In front of her stood a young woman, the same age as Snow. She had pure black, short hair. The same plump looking face and eyes that reminded of herself stared back at her like a mirror. With a simple shirt and jeans, the being stood before her. Her hand was on her hips, telling her that she wasn't too happy with Snow's response.
Snow couldn't help but reach forward as her mind turned blank at the mirror-like image of herself. She could feel the warm finger touch her skin, sizzling her with the warmth that reminded her of the spring sun.
"Do you like it?" The being spoke with her head held up high, strutting around her. "It's the closest thing to what you call humans, plus it would make it easier to talk to people like this." She placed her hand on her hips.
"No, but I don't know why you brought me here?" Snow said. She was sure she was fighting monsters a moment ago.
"I think you know the answer." The woman said with a hint of mischief. She conjured up a bird made out of energy. It fluttered around on her and landed on her hand.
"You're a ghost that came to haunt me." Snow said without a second thought.
"Try again."
"You're a demon who came to eat my soul?"
The woman sighed, and the bird disappeared. "Enough with the roundabout guessing games." Every step she took, Snow took a few steps back. "You're dead."
Snow didn't want to admit it. She knew that whatever was going on meant she was dead when she jumped in front of the BullRoc.
"I saw what you did, kid." The woman spoke with her hands against her hips. She seemed to be so comfortable with the word death that it made it sound like a joke.
"I couldn't help but wonder where your motherly words went." Snow tried to figure out everything that was going on. "The first time I heard you, you sounded very considerate." She crossed her arms in front of her. She was wondering why this lady had come to her.
"How about this, if you get through the first test, I'll give you a blessing." The woman chirpily replied, looking at Snow as if she were some kind of plaything. "If you can get out, I'll see you again another time. Okay?"
Snow wasn't sure she liked the plan this woman was giving her.
"What if I don't want it?" Snow asked. She kind of felt like there was something more to behind this, that she glared at her.
"You will." The woman said with confidence.
Snow wasn't sure what the woman had in mind that she would want to listen to. She didn't like how she took on her form, but the feeling of suspicion started to be swept away.
"Are you a Goddess?"
"Yes."
Snow was surprised at her sudden answer. "Which Goddess?"
"That depends." A smile erupted on the Goddess' lips, a bit more sinister than Snow liked. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable. She could feel the holy power exuding out of the Goddess body, but the smile had a dark feel that no Light Goddess should have.
"Are you the God of Light or Darkness?" Snow blurted out, hoping that she would find the answer that she was looking for.
"That is the wrong question." The Goddess spoke lazily, waving her hand. "The better question is, which would you like to see me as?"
The Goddess morphed into a male figure, which was much more sinister than the previous form. A masculine figure stood overshadowing her in a black and white suit and stood proudly in its place. The air around him radiated with dark powers, pulling her into the very depths of darkness that chilled her to her very bones. She felt like she fell into the abyss of an endless hole, becoming an existence that was alone. Her mind slowly, but surely, felt the pressure of the God, unravelling in the spot as her existence faded away.
The last thought blossomed in her mind, "Why?" before she slammed into her body, becoming whole once again. It was a jarring experience that made her mind tingle and rattled all at the same time.
"Why is there a question and an answer? A mystery that starts and ends." The voice was deep, shaking her very soul.
"I….don't think it works like that." Snow was still woozy, but she was finally able to steady her feet.
"But to you humans, it means everything," the God chuckled. "To answer your question of why you got unravelled and why I had to reconstruct your pieces again was because your mind couldn't handle the information. Pure and simple."
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