Ayse's POV
A loud noise in both sense of Ayse's hearing, like a group of people whispering to each other.
"Goddess!
"Our Goddess!"
The "Goddess" word keep echoing through her ears. The consciousness within her gradually recovered. However, her whole body feel weak. She open her eyes slowly. Then, her gaze is at many forms of bottles with fire torches in their hands. Also, she staring at herself that sprawled on the leaves.
"The Goddess is awake!" one of them exclaimed. It looks like a box of fruit juice, like apricot juice.
Suddenly many questions popped inside her head.
"What happen?
"Why they all in the form of drinks?
"Where am I?!" she thought.
"Devin??" she whispered confused.
She look for Devin's figure in the crowd. But, his form is not there.
Their strange apperarances were able to give a terrible impression to Ayse. However, she cannot escape because they are crowding around her.
"Goddess Lara!" They said while changing their positions in a state of worship in front of Ayse. Their hands touching the ground and feet resting on their bodies to hold their weight.
"Goddess Lara?" she whispered, completely confused about their words.
Suddenly several mineral water troops while riding their horses, approaching Ayse.
"Don't touch her!" one of them in the form of a Luminarc - Granity glass, filled with mineral water, in the front row.
He was dressed like a king with a long cloth on his back, a golden crown on his head, and a sword resembling 'Excalibur' tucked away in a pocket on his waist. In his right hand, he hold a torch of fire as a light in the night sky.
A few steps later, they stop and get down from their horse. They positioned like the other drink, around Ayse immediately.
2 minutes later, they all stand up as before.
The Luminarc - Granity glass of mineral water's face showing a gentle smile at Ayse.
Suddenly the feel of laugh and weird in herself increased after seeing the strange and unusual creatures in front of her and around her right now.
"Excuse me, what the hell is this?" Ayse asked confused. "Where am I?"
That mineral water still smiling. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Dante Aqua. I am the king who leads the Potio Nation."
"Potio Nation?" Ayse asked on her thought.
Ayse's gaze glance around.
"Oh, the nation of drinks, you mean?" her thought again.
"Ah, how happy we are to welcoming you!" he continued.
"Sorry. But, I am not the Goddess Lara that you mean. I think you are wrong," Ayse said.
"I have to go now."
"Don't go," he said.
"We all– the Potio Nation–have to accept that you already had a longer slept inside this Earth.
"That's why you can't remember anything, including us.
"But, I am sure that you'll come to us and get enough sense soon," he said. "Also, protecting us."
"Protecting you all?" Ayse wondered inside her head.
She silent with her eyes widened at Dante.
"Oh my God, what happen with this glass?!" her thought.
This world makes her crazy.
"Since you've been asleep for a long time. We have to purify you in the Heavenly Temple" said Dante. "Let's get into the stagecoach, Goddess Lara!"
Ayse confused to say to Dante and others. Finally, she accepting his invitation to get into a stagecoach which is made with pure gold. She forced to comply with the desire of him. It is all for his safety here. Exactly in this strange world.
The gold stagecoach take her to the Heavenly Temple. Inside this stagecoach is only Ayse. Do not know what to do. She only enjoy the beauty of the starlight in the night sky. She have to keep the questions on her mind until the right time. Eventhough it really hurts.
Every pound of the horses carrying this stagecoach, more and more beats the silence in the night. Not infrequently, there is many turns that makes Ayse's body slightly flung to the other side. Finally, she decided to sit by the window with one of her hands on the window. Her fingers touch every golden expanse inside this stagecoach. she touch her face again while looking at the expanse of green nature around her.
"Goddess Lara …."
"Who is she?" Ayse whispered. "Am I that much like her?"
She sighed.
Her head feel like going to explode.
The cold air piercing her skin eventhough she wearing a hoodie.
"Pst!"
Her eyes still staring at the natural scenery around her. Ignoring the strange voice.
"Pst!!"
Suddenly the strange voice is able to break Ayse's thoughts. She look around to find the source of that voice.
"I am here!"
Instantly Ayse's gaze at a red cloak with feathers around it which is neatly folded beside her.
"Huh?"
She did not notice that thing next to her. Really.
"Goddess Lara, I—"
"KYAAAA!!!!!"
Ayse surprised and move away. The hair on her neck stood up immediately. Her heart is pounding with fear. Both of her eyes are widened and staring at a talking furry red cloak.
That cloak give her a small wink.
Suddenly this golden stagecoach stop after heard Ayse's shout. A soldier in the form of a mineral water bottle open the stagecoach door and look at Ayse with worried eyes. The water inside his body is wobbling as if it wanted to come out.
"Are you alright, Goddess Lara?"
"Y—yeah, I am alright," Ayse said, trying to neutralize his worried. She hope to convince him.
After almost a minute stared at Ayse, he finally believe her. Then said, "Alright then."
"Goddess Lara is alright. The journey continues!" he said to others. Then, he close the stagecoach door again.
A few moments later, the golden stagecoach is moving again.
Ayse's gaze turn to a furry red cloak beside her.
Now, their eyes meet each other.
"W–who are you?" Ayse asked.
She still terrified by the miracle that befallen to the furry red cloak. "Why you can talk??"
"Well, I am confused how to introduce myself to you," He sighed with face look down sadly. "I do not have names like them out there."
"Oh I see," She said while look at the first red cloak sadly face. Instantly a pity feel in her heart.
"How about if I call you 'Amik'?"
The folded furry red cloak turn to look at Ayse. His eyes twinkled. "Amik?"
Ayse nodded. "Yeah!"
"My new name?" he asked earnestly.
Ayse nodded again. "Yeah!"
"Thankfully, thank you very much, Goddess Lara! Finally, I have a name!" he exclaimed.
Amik the Furry Red Cloak looks happy after getting the name from Ayse. His face become blush. It also makes Ayse feel the same way as Amik which is happiness.
"Um, actually I—" Ayse stopped her sentence suddenly.
She tried to say her real of her name to Amik. However, it is very difficult as if someone hold her. Her chest feel tight for a moment. Unwittingly, she touch her chest.
"Are you alright?" Amik asked worriedly. He start to approaching to Ayse by jumping up and down.
"Nah, I am alright," she replied.
Instantly Amik stop jumping towards Ayse. He silent and still have a worried gaze on his eyes.
"It looks like you're getting cold. You can wear me now," he said. "I am a cloak to protect you, Goddess Lara,
"Forever."
"Okay then," Ayse said and smiled.
She take Amik immediately and widen it until reveal a long red cloak wrapped in soft white fur. She wrapping it around her body. Warmth enveloped her at the moment.
"Thank you, Amik," she said.
"My pleasure," Amik said and smiled back at Ayse.
"How long have you been here?" she asked with curiousity. "I mean, already in this golden stagecoach."
"Since today," he replied. "Since King Dante ordered me to picked you up."
"Actually my arrival was planned??" her thought.
She silent for a moment.
"How did you know I come to this world?" I asked.
"Come to this world?"
"Um, I mean awake. Sorry," she replied.
Amik chuckled. Then said, "Based on the Maraville Calendar."
"Maraville Calendar?" she asked confused.
"So, that calendar always show up the miracles or miracles that will happen in a year for the Potio Nation," he replied.
"The calculation is based on the number of stars in the sky.
"If the number of stars in the sky is even, a miracle will come. Meanwhile, if the number of stars in the sky is odd, bad luck will come.
"Based on the observations of astronomers, the number of stars today is 22 stars.
"The number 22 is Goddess Lara's favourite number!
"And that's true! Finally, you woke up from your long sleep," he continued happily.
Ayse silent and trying to understanding every sentence that uttered by Amik.
Little by little, she begin to know about this world, the Potio Nation. However, the question in her mind about Goddess Lara still not get any answered yet. She have to act like the real Goddess Lara — in order to know the secret behind it all.
Also, about Devin ...,
Slowly she will surely find it. Certainly.
"Be ready! Finally, we will arriving at the Temple of Heaven!" Amik said suddenly.
After a couple minutes, the golden stagecoach stopped. Suddenly the two bottle of mineral water with royal soldiers costume open the stagecoach door.
Ayse get up from her sitting position and step out immediately.
The golden palace building, like in a fantasy world accept Ayse's presence in it. This is called the "Heavenly Temple" because it is located in a high hill so that the white clouds in the sky cover this palace gently. The red carpet stretched out indefinitely.
Ayse greeted by several empress girls. They are in human form like her.
"Thankfully!"
That is the words which had came out in the depths of her heart. There are still have human in this world.
Without saying a word, the brown-haired, white-dressed girls with green shawls around their waists, accompany Ayse to a place inside the Heavenly Temple. Their steps getting faster.
Ayse's steps could not balance it and she left behind.
The journey to a place still not arrive until it caused both of Ayse's legs are hurts. She winced in pain until she stop for a while in the middle of the corridor.
"Where will they take me?" Ayse grumbled.
"Hold on for a while. You'll arriving at the purification place in a second," Amik replied.
She sighed. "My legs are painful!"
"Intend it in your heart. Surely everything your painful feels will go away," he said.
Ayse sighed again.
Tried to be sincere and give good suggestions to herself, suddenly the pain in Ayse's legs disappeared by itself and replaced with a light feel.
"It's worked?!" Ayse surprised.
A few steps later, Ayse arriving at a place which is a bathing place with a large circular pool.
The girls helped Ayse take off her clothes including Amik the Furry Red Cloak. All of Ayse's clothes are burn immediately by the several girls in the other room. Then, Amik the Furry Red Cloak is stored neatly in a special shelf in another room. Now, there is no a single oun thread covering her body. Her braided hair, must to be loose.
"Long time you soak is after all the sins and impurities in yourself are disappeared," one of them said with a smiling face.
Their smiles caused horror somehow.
"But, I don't know when for sure," Ayse said.
She still smiling.Then said, "You'll know it by yourself."
Then, that girl left Ayse alone.
Finally, Ayse step into the tub. When her left-big toe touch the water, a black spot appear immediately on the surface of the water, right where she touched it. Suddenly she raised her left-big toe again. Feeling of curiousity, she touch some of her limbs at the same time. However, because it still half of the water, her whole body finally dived into the big tub.
All black stains appears and coloring the whole tub until it become like a dirty tub. However, this warm water is able to comfort Ayse. So, she does not care about the color. This water really gives a different feeling.
Difficult to explain verbally.
Unknowingly, Ayse close her eyes while enjoying the warm water. She immerse in pleasure. All the burdens of thoughts that surrounded her head disappear for a moment.
Everything feels reborn.