As the shadows that had enshrouded her began to dissipate, Sivel's gaze drifted down to her hand, where a shimmering veil of mana had enveloped her smooth skin like a silken glove.
"This is..." Sivel's muttering tapered off into a hushed silence as she closed her eyes and began to focus her mind. As she did so, a strange sensation washed over her. It was a feeling that she had never experienced before, a rush of energy that surged through her like a raging river. Thousands of mana circles blazed to life within her, their power surging through her veins. It was as if she had been reborn.
With a single thought, Sivel summoned forth a tempest of raw power, calling forth the elemental forces of the wind. A ball of high-pressure air coalesced in her hand, spinning and crackling with fierce energy. The winds howled around her, whipping her hair into a frenzy and causing her robes to billow out.
"So it was only a curse..." Sivel let out a soft gasp, her eyes welling up with tears of pure joy that traced shimmering tracks down her flushed cheeks. For so long, she had struggled with her inability to wield magic like other gifted individuals, pouring her heart and soul into the art of swordsmanship as a means of compensating for her perceived inadequacies.
She had labored long and hard, honing her skills with blood, sweat, and tears, determined to prove to herself and the world that she was just as capable as anyone else. She had finally achieved that which she had believed to be impossible.
"Sivel!" Out of nowhere, a voice boomed from the mouth of the cave, its echoes bouncing off the rugged walls. "I heard that you were here..."
Standing before Lilith was a woman with cascading tresses of lumi white hair that shimmered in the light, the same shade as her porcelain skin that gave off an otherworldly, snowy glow. As Lilith looked into her silver-like eyes, she couldn't help but be reminded of the piercing gaze of a fierce wolf.
"What is this..." As the woman cast her gaze upon Sivel, her eyes were drawn to a mesmerizing sight - a billowing ball of wind pulsating with an intense force, delicately hovering over the contours of Sivel's palm. "Is that magic...?!"
"Galena..." Sivel muttered as she looked up, tears of joy still flowing down her cheeks. "I can use magic...waaaaa..."
"Oh... god... good for you." Galena hugged Sivel tightly, comforting her by patting her back. "But... how..."
"It was thanks to Goddess Lilith," Sivel muttered, still crying her eyes out.
"Eh...? Goddess Lilith...?" Galena's expression contorted into a perplexed frown, her eyebrows arching upwards in bewilderment. She shifted her gaze towards the rugged surface of the cave walls, and as her eyes roamed over the etchings, they settled upon a vivid depiction of an infant. "That Goddess...?"
"No..." Sivel shook her head and pointed at Lilith. "That is Goddess Lilith."
Galena swiveled her head in the direction Sivel had indicated, and her eyes widened with a jolt of astonishment. The sheer joy she felt for Sivel had momentarily blinded her to the otherworldly aura that permeated the cavern, but as she gazed around in wonder, she gradually became aware of a mysterious, almost ethereal presence lurking in the shadows.
"Yo." Lilith greeted by raising her hand.
"Y-you are, Goddess Lilith...?" Galena muttered. "I don't believe it..."
"Sister... this is proof of it," Sivel spoke as she showed Galena the ball of wind in her hand. "I was able to see it for myself. I entered her spiritual realm... and it turned out that I was cursed... unable to unlock my talent for magic..."
"What?! Is this true?!" Galena yelled as she grabbed onto Sivel's shoulder, her eyes closing into serious slits. "Could it be that humans... or..."
"Ummm..." Lilith spoke, feeling a bit awkward. "I'm still here, you know..."
"Ah...! Yes! I'm sorry for not greeting you sooner!" Galena's voice erupted in a fervent cry as she swiveled her body towards Lilith, her movements fluid as she sank down to her knees in a show of deep reverence. With a resounding thud, her forehead met the cold, hard ground as she pressed her palms against the rocky surface, offering a heartfelt display of gratitude and humility to the being before her.
"Ah... you don't have to go that far... but you can be my disciple," Lilith's lips curled into a muted mutter as she glided forward until she was standing mere inches away from Galena. With a gentle touch, she placed her hand on Galena's shoulder, coaxing her to look up. As their eyes met, Galena felt drawn into the abyss of Lilith's crimson gaze, its hypnotic intensity holding her captive like a moth to a flame.
"Don't be afraid..." Galena's ears pricked up at the sound of Sivel's hushed whisper, her words a faint murmur in the encroaching darkness that was beginning to swallow them whole. As the miasmic mist enveloped them, Galena felt herself being pulled into the depths of Lilith's spiritual realm - a place of infinite shadow and boundless obscurity, where the only companions were her own thoughts, the whisper of her sister's voice, and the enigmatic presence of Lilith, watching over them all like a silent sentinel.
"Will you pledge your unwavering allegiance to me and extol my name to all who will hear? In exchange, I shall remain a steadfast guardian, watching over you ceaselessly, whether the sun is high or the moon holds sway. As the sovereign of the elven kingdom, your dominion will flourish, for I, Lilith Octream, daughter of John Aslar and Lisa Octream, am a deity who shall guide and protect your realm, now and forevermore."
"Yes..." Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of courage and warmth that rippled through her body, Galena found herself compelled to lower herself in a deep bow.