Kari is bored. She's watching the sun disappear below the horizon. Waiting for something, for anything, to happen. You're not supposed to feel lonely on Myridia, ever, but she can't help it.
Like any Myridian she knows, she's been living by herself since she was fourteen. Like any Myridian, by age twenty Kari had seen absolutely everything her world has to offer.
Twice.
Unlike any other Myridian, this only made Kari bored out of her skull.
A sudden flash of blue light just below the water is about to change all that.
The last thing that Max Black remembers is touching the Heart of the Universe, then hitting a wall.
That's not what he did, but it's close enough. It could've been worse: if he'd materialized inside something solid, like a wall, he'd be dead by now.
Instead, when he opens his eyes, a beautiful white girl with purple hair and blue eyes is smiling warmly.
<Υοθ σcαρεδ με τηερε φορ α σεcονδ> she says.
<Τηατ σοθνδσ λικε γιββεριση. Υοθ σθρε υοθ'ρε οκαυ?>
They're on a beach, who knows where; probably on the other side of the world, since it's close to dusk. He sure can't tell from the girl: not only he can't understand a word she's saying, he has no idea what language he's hearing.
The girl's appearance isn't of much help. The purple hair would've been weirder before he knew a girl with silver eyes.
Several feet away, the goddess is lying lifeless on the beach. There's another girl next to her, kneeling over her body attempting CPR. Wearing the same pink dress and miniskirt of the girl with the purple hair.
<Σταυ ηερε> she says. It sounds like an order.
<Ι σαιδ σταυ ηερε> she adds. This time it sounds like a threat.
In the blink of an eye, Kari's body triplicates. Two identical Kari stand beside her, with the exact same pink dress and purple hair.
Another one kicks him in the shin. He falls to the ground, too disoriented to turn into energy.
The two duplicates disappear with a popping sound.
<Αρε ωε cλεαρ, ορ υοθ ωαντ με το kick your butt again?> she asks, suddenly making sense.
Vesta awakens with someone trying to resuscitate her. Kari is pushing her chest rhythmically to start her heart again. Only when the goddess awakens, she starts to breathe again.
she complains, rising to her feet.
As soon as she's spoken, Vesta regrets her words: she just knows the girl will now look at her like she's from another planet.
<…>
Max is massaging the back of his head. Kari is shorter than him, though not as much as Noriko, but she managed to take him down without the slightest effort.
Kari nods.
For once, Max shares Vesta's uneasiness with the current situation.
Vesta decides to change the subject entirely:
Max and Vesta look at each other, flabbergasted. Both swallow loudly, before Vesta asks:
Later
Kari's house is just five minutes from the beach. It's nothing fancy, more like an apartment with a small garden outside the door. There's no other house in sight.
Again, the two visitors share a puzzled look.
They're now in the kitchen, where Kari takes the only chair. An exact duplicate appears right by her side, walking off to get something to drink.
Max notes, as the duplicate Kari serves him a glass of something vaguely resembling tea.
Vesta adjusts by crossing her legs and levitating, keeping the same distance from the floor like she would if she was on a chair. Interestingly, Kari doesn't seem to care that her guest can fly.
<"The Oracles"?> Max repeats.
<"Harvest"? Kari…which god owns this planet?> Vest asks, biting her upper lip.
Vesta doesn't answer; she's noticeably paler and visibly shocked.