"Not bad."
Watching the news on her cell phone, Reyna grins due the turmoil the goddess was making in the city.
"You think so?"
"Yeah. I thought she was going to spend all her money on food or something. Honestly, it's a pretty good start."
"But this is far from over. I wonder what will be her next move."
"Well, don't worry about it too much. I doubt she'll do anything stupid again at this point. At least, I hope."
Reyna was confident, but it was very optimistic to think that a goddess would not cause any more problems. She had a very big responsibility to carry, and if she didn't walk the line, Reyna would have to intervene again.
"Let's hope for the best. In any case, keep an eye open. I'll do the same."
"Yes, majesty."
"By the way, I already told you to stop calling me majesty, especially when we're alone."
"I-I'm sorry, but..."
"Call me Reyna, idiot! I call you Claude, don't I?"
Claude becomes uncomfortable with Reyna's request.
"Very well... Queen Reyna..."
"...better than nothing."
Right now, Caelia was walking the streets of the city, looking at the money that remained and thinking about what she should do with it. She was so preoccupied with the future that she could barely notice the large number of people around her.
One of these people was trying to make way. It was an elf girl holding a camera.
"Excuse me! Let me through!"
When she succeeds, she positions herself right in front of Caelia, forcing her to stop. She points the camera at the goddess's face.
"Look, guys! It's the goddess in the flesh! Seeing her out of the crystal for the first time makes me all goosebumps, it feels like a dream!"
"Who are you?"
"Ah, sorry for the rudeness! My name is Kristie, I am a streamer!"
"Streamer?"
"Yes! Right now, this conversation is being broadcast to over 80,000 people! Do you have anything to say to your fans?"
Caelia doesn't quite understand what Kristie say and all she does is stand by and watch.
"What is it? You don't have to be nervous! There are several people waiting wonderful things from you, goddess! I know, why don't you give a demonstration of what you can do?"
"Demonstration?"
"Yes! A miracle or something. Something that only a goddess would be able to do. Please, your fans are waiting!"
Caelia has had this conversation before and she know how terribly it ended. She wouldn't repeat the same mistake twice, especially in front of all these people.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry."
But the girl stops her from going on.
"Ah, please! Just once!"
"You're annoying, you know?"
Caelia pushes the girl and tries to move on, but she doesn't give up.
"What's the matter? Aren't you a goddess?"
Caelia stops immediately. She looks at the girl again, without hiding her discontent.
"What's a goddess for you?"
The girl is startled by Caelia's question and steps back.
"Do you think I'm an entertainer? Is that why you think I'm here, to do magic tricks?
Caelia advances as the girl retreats, hiding her face behind the camera.
"So... why are you here?"
Caelia becomes silent. Once again, she was stuck in the same question that she had been asking herself all the time since she broke free from the crystal. Unable to answer, she turns her back on the girl and teleports away. The girl continues to film even after she was gone.
"What's wrong with her?"
The day passed. News of the goddess being seen in remote parts of the city spread and people constantly migrated from place to place in order to find her, but whenever they succeeded she disappeared again. Mark and Alexa followed the news closely, however, as time went on, they approached the moment when they would leave the city. Eventually, they had to meet with the rest of the students to avoid get lost again. In the late afternoon, they were getting ready to take the bus home while waiting in front of the hotel. Alexa couldn't stop looking at the cell phone.
"She's causing a commotion again... but this time, it doesn't seem to be her fault."
"Well, she's a goddess. She'll get attention even if she doesn't want to."
"What a shame... I wanted to meet her again."
"You haven't given up on that crazy idea yet, have you?"
Alexa thinks about the moment they spent together and the things Caelia said. After all that, saying goodbye was the least she wanted to do.
"You know, I don't deny that I was moved by emotion and that it was fun to walk with the goddess but... I really wanted to help her. That woman really needs help."
Yes, that goddess wouldn't be able to withstand all the pressure that this world was doing on her alone. She would have to learn new things, deal with new customs and at the same time respond to people's expectations. How would she survive all of this? Alexa couldn't imagine, and faced with the inability to do anything, she felt frustrated.
"Ahh... and I still missed a lot of the trip because of her. Frankly, she should at least apologize!"
Alexa gave the impression of being well, but Mark knew that she was trying to hide her feelings. It was sad, but there was nothing he could do. Until he catches sight of a familiar person across the street.
"You can still charge that to her, you know?"
"What do you mean? We don't even know where she is."
"Yes, we know. Look."
Mark points to the goddess, who was crestfallen and visibly exhausted. She probably had no idea where she was, how she got there and where she was going. Alexa, however, is excited to see her again.
"Goddess!"
She leaves the group of students and sets out towards the goddess. The teacher realizes that Alexa was distancing herself and tries to stop her.
"Alexa, where are you going? The bus will already leave!"
"Sorry! Just five more minutes!"
Caelia hears someone's footsteps approaching and prepares to flee again.
"Damn! Again?"
When she turns around, she realizes that it's Alexa.
"What do you mean again? You didn't want to see me, after all I did for you?"
"Oh, it's you Alexa. Sorry, I thought it was someone else."
"What is it? Why are you so tired?"
"You were right, those people are evil. I can't find peace anywhere in this city."
"It was to be expected... if only I could take you to my homeland..."
"Homeland?"
"Yes. It's a city in the countryside where nothing really happens. I could say that it's a peaceful place... too peaceful..."
"Sounds nice..."
Before finishing the sentence, Caelia remembers Mark's words.
"...but I can't depend on you, Alexa. I don't want to cause any more problems."
"I see..."
Alexa is surprised and sad at the same time.
"What a shame. You would be a good company. Like an older sister."
"Older... sister?"
"Yes. I always wanted to have a sister."
"Sorry, Alexa."
"It's all right. It was a stupid idea to begin with."
The bus started to make noise and the students started to enter. Alexa looked back and saw the teacher calling for her.
"I have to go now. Will you be fine?"
"I hope so."
With that, Alexa says goodbye to Caelia and crosses the street. Before joining with the others, Alexa turns one last time to the goddess and waves.
"Let's eat crepe together again!"
The goddess waves back. Alexa gets on the bus and sits in the seat next to Mark.
"Don't go crying again."
"I won't!"
A few seconds later, the bus departs. Alexa and Caelia split up, and only fate could tell when they would meet again. During the trip, Alexa felt several things: sadness, longing, regret... but one thing was certain: the meeting of the two was a great privilege for Alexa and she would definitely remember this experience for the rest of her life.
***
In a very distant place, in the depths of an underwater abyss, amid ruins caused by the constant conflicts of ancient civilizations, a woman awakens from a deep sleep. Her petrified body, which hasn't moved for millennia, begins to free itself from its frozen coffin, until the woman opens her eyes and sees the light of the surface shining in the distance. She looks around and sees only the immensity of blue and the creatures that floated in it. She decides to leave that place and ascends to where the light came from.
Upon reaching oxygen, she sees an island on the horizon and swims towards it.
Minutes later, a man who fished off the coast is surprised by the woman who emerged from the sea, as beautiful and charming as a mermaid. He is startled and tries to flee, but his body doesn't respond. The woman goes to him and stops until she can look at him from above.
"What year is this?"