Volume 3: Inner Reflection

...A silent gasp caught in Virel’s tiny throat as a figure coalesced before her, wreathed in an ethereal glow. A warm, gentle smile graced the being’s face, framed by sparkling, smooth, silky silver hair that flowed like liquid moonlight. Her eyes, strangely, remained closed, yet Aoi felt an intense, knowing gaze pierce through her very essence. A blue magic spell in her hand....

..."Greetings, it's a pleasure to meet you," the figure murmured, her voice a melody of calm affection that resonated deep within Virel’s infant consciousness. The being leaned closer, a translucent hand reaching out, not quite touching her. Aoi, still trapped in the tiny, uncooperative form of Virel Lunis, the newborn baby, tried to pull back, to recoil from this impossible encounter, but her new body wouldn't obey. She was tethered, mesmerized....

..."Are you a goddess? And what is in your hand? Is it magic?" Aoi’s thoughts screamed, the words emerging only as a frustrated, urgent baby cry. "Why aren't you answering my questions? Or are you... evil?" A chill, born of profound uncertainty, settled around her. This being was too serene, too perfect, to be easily categorized....

...The figure’s small smile deepened, a flicker of amusement playing on her lips. "No. I am not a Goddess or an Evil," she replied, her voice a balm against Aoi’s mounting panic. "I am You, or would I say, I am the past You. I am the one you turned into from the summoning."...

...Virel’s miniature eyes widened in a dizzying whirlwind of surprise, disbelief, and profound confusion. You are Me? The thought was incomprehensible. "What do you mean—you are Me? And what happened to Me when I got summoned?" A torrent of questions flooded her mind, each one more urgent than the last. "And why don't I remember anything about it? How are you here now? Are you inside me? Am I possessed?" The idea was horrifying, yet somehow, in this dream-like state, it felt less like a threat and more like an unfolding enigma....

...The past Aoi’s eyes remained closed, her smile unwavering, almost painfully nonchalant. "I understand your confusion, little one. But I don't have much time left to explain all of that." Her voice softened, taking on a melancholic echo. "Your memory was vanished by my death. It was a consequence, a protection in a way. I was betrayed by someone I had trusted the most. A bond thought unbreakable, shattered. And that's why you're reincarnated into another universe by my will—no, our will. You are here to fulfill what the past You, what I, couldn't do. You're here to fulfill what I left behind."...

...A shimmering aura began to ripple around the ethereal figure, her form starting to dissolve like mist caught in a gentle breeze. "For that," her voice grew more urgent, though still calm, "you have to be strong. Stronger than I ever was. And you must find a way to get to that other universe, the one I spoke of, where the person who betrayed me resides."...

...Her translucent form shimmered faster, becoming increasingly indistinct. "Remember, Virel Lunis! You have a duty to achieve!"...

...Before she fully dissolved into nothingness, two names, whispered like ancient, forgotten secrets, lingering on the fading air, distinct yet imbued with a profound weight: "Lyra" and "Aethelgard." Then, she was gone, leaving only the lingering scent of something akin to starlight and sorrow....

..."At least tell me your name!" Virel cried out, her tiny baby voice a desperate, unheard plea against the emptiness....

..."There is no need," a soft, knowing giggle echoed from the now vacant space, a final, playful, yet undeniably mysterious farewell that hung in the silence. It was a sound that promised more questions than answers, a puzzle with crucial pieces missing....

...Virel jolted awake, her dream's vivid remnants clinging to her. A strange, unfamiliar warmth moistened her cheeks. Unknown tears streamed from her tiny eyes, a profound empathy for her past self, a grief and sense of purpose she couldn't possibly describe, welling up within her newborn body. The words "Lyra" and "Aethelgard" pulsed behind her eyelids, foreign yet intimately connected to the heavy, unfamiliar duty that now settled deep in her infant soul. It was a burden, yes, but also a whisper of a grand destiny, a thrilling, terrifying journey she was just beginning to comprehend. The world of humans was behind her, a forgotten dream. Her new life, and its hidden purpose, had truly begun....

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...To Be Continued...

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