[E]mbraced by an inexplicable serenity, Ionia's body felt as light as a feather, drifting through an ethereal void.
"Ionia?" A mellifluous male voice, gentle, aloof, and irresistibly alluring, beckoned her. It was like the soothing murmur of a tranquil stream. "Ionia, dear, awaken."
At the persistent summons, she slowly opened her eyes, the sense of tranquility lingering.
It took her a few moments to adjust her consciousness with her surroundings. Only then did she realize her head was cradled against something firm yet yielding, akin to a man's lap.
His face hovered above hers, gazing at her with tenderness and adoration.
The man possessed long silver hair, golden eyes, and a face that was delicately gentle yet strikingly handsome. He seemed to radiate an otherworldly aura; a visage akin to that of a deity.
Struggling to sit up, Ionia inquired, her eyes fitting to her unfamiliar surroundings. "W-who? A-and… where am I?"
The scene around her resembled a paradise: a radiant blue waterfall cascaded nearby, embraced by lush greenery and flowers of such vibrant colors that they felt almost surreal – blue roses, flora too beautiful to be real.
The setting was fantastical, hinting at a civilization with a primeval allure.
"Welcome! This is the Vestige," the man replied calmly, adjusting his immaculate white robes that draped him like those of divine beings.
His long silver hair cascaded behind him, caressing the verdant ground.
"I am Sol," he stated simply.
Ionia narrowed her eyes at his words, observing him more closely. He did, indeed, look familiar, reminiscent of the statues she had seen in Aethalia, her homeland.
"Are you truly asking me to believe you're a god?" she challenged, her gaze piercing his with incredulity.
Sol gracefully shrugged his shoulders, a serene smile touching his lips. With an air of unwavering tranquility, he acknowledged, "Indeed, I am god."
Ionia's incredulous expression remained as she contemplated this revelation.
She had heard stories of the god named Solvaria in her homeland, but he'd always been a distant and mythical figure of the past.
Now, one stood before her, exuding an aura of divine power and beauty.
"It's been a long time since humanity lost their faith in god," Ionia stated in her characteristically indifferent tone, her face sculpted into its signature mask of indifference. "Especially with the emergence of the Abyss Corroders."
Sol's gaze remained tender, yet a profound sorrow welled in his eyes. "Ionia, as much as it grieves my heart, I am bound by the immutable laws of the cosmos and cannot interfere in the natural course of this world."
"Hah! Your non-interference, however," Ionia countered, "may have contributed to all of this…"
"I conferred upon humanity the gift of mana, the divine blessing of potency, and the wisdom of the creation's you humans have named nanotechnology, thus bestowing upon them the means to shape their destiny. Humans are uniquely endowed with the power to sculpt their own fate, yet, tragically, they have chosen a path that leads to their own undoing." Sol's words were imbued with the weight of profound sorrow.
Ionia's narrowed eyes spoke of somber comprehension. She too, had once held firm belief in the potential of humankind, but the world's descent into chaos and the malevolence and greed of those who had risen to seize power had left her disillusioned.
"It's too late now. The end was inevitable, and change would be an elusive dream."
Sol's eyes retained a glimmer of hope as he responded, "There is still a way, beloved child. You, in your own right, hold the key to defying the cataclysms."
"I'm not certain I understand. I died, remember?" Ionia's voice was laced with a hint of uncertainty as she spoke.
Sol shook his head gracefully in denial, the verdant surroundings mirroring his tranquility. "No, dear one. If you had perished, your soul would have fractured, cast out from this world's existence due to the seeds of chaos."
"Then how can this be?" Ionia's confusion deepened. "How am I here, conversing with you as if I still belong?"
"It was the work of another of my cherished children. Do you not recall? Azrael of Indrisid?"
"A-Azrael? But how did he…"
"Is it not evident? Much like there are three distinct branches of aether, which only an Eques of god can wield, Azrael serves as the Eques of Aevum, signifying…"
"The chosen knight? The messiah with the gift of time?" Ionia interjected, her words cutting through the explanation.
Sol responded with an understanding nod, a fatherly patience in his demeanor.
Somehow, while pondering his words, Ionia absentmindedly retreated to the edge of the serene, gleaming blue waterfall, its waters glistening with arcane beauty.
"It must've been quite the privilege," she muttered to herself, reminiscing about her own powers – limited to mana specialized in healing.
Her magical healing abilities were the lowest in the hierarchy, a stark contrast to divine powers.
Over time, she had grown accustomed to the ridiculed and ostracism, a hero's lineage overshadowed by societal disdain.
"You too are a beloved child…"
Ionia scoffed, a sardonic laughter escaping her lips as she rubbed her face, then approached the water, its surface inviting her touch. "Hah? If that were true, I wouldn't have awakened as a mere healer."
Sol's voice carried a gentle reassurance. "Ionia, my child, are you not yet aware?"
"Aware of what?"
"You are one of my beloved children, chosen as the Eques of Vivum. That is why you bear the blessing of life."
The revelation struck Ionia, and she turned swiftly, her gaze cold and unyielding as it met Sol's.
"Well, your 'blessing of life' has felt more like a curse. You can't imagine what it was like to long for death, to be violated repeatedly, and find that death remained elusive. Your gift is nothing but a burden to me – a worthless burden."
Sol, his eyes unyielding, floated off the ground and moved towards her with ethereal grace, as though he was gliding on air. The gap between them closed with effortless elegance, and he gazed down upon her, his stern stare penetrating her very being.
"You have strayed from your true purpose, consumed by your fixation on Draven," Sol's words carried the weight of divine authority. "The world could have benefited from the gift you possess."
A gasp escaped Ionia's lips, and she prepared to offer a retort when a curious sound, akin to the gentle simmering of water, captured her attention.
Her eyes were drawn to the center of the miniature lake, where something began to bubble and churn.
"It is time," Sol declared firmly, snapping her focus back to him.
"For what?" Ionia inquired.
"It is time for you to return," Sol's voice held a finality that left no room for negotiations. "The world has undergone its regression and awaits your return."
"I have no intention of returning to that kind of life—" Ionia protested.
But Sol interrupted her with an authoritative tone. "Nor can you stay here. The Vestige serves as a temporary space for an Eques to encounter and converse with the divine, nothing more."
"Hah? Go back? To that place that never embraced me? A world that rejected and looked down on me?"
"Yes. Return at once and mend your ways." With those words, and a flick of his hand, a brilliant column of light surged from the water, extending towards the sky. Sol, with another flick, pushed her into the water.
Ionia plunged into the shimmering pool, her eyes wide with alarm. She attempted to resist, to claw her way back to the surface, but her struggles only seemed to pull her deeper into the depths.
Sol's voice resonated in her mind, a comforting presence amidst the disorienting sensations. "This second life is your sole responsibility. The divine shall watch over your ways, and your actions shall alter the fate of humanity. Return, and begin anew."
With each passing moment, her limbs grew heavier, her movements sluggish. Her vision blurred, her eyelids drooping as an overwhelming sense of weariness overcame her.
Gradually, she sank deeper into the water, the world around her shifting and distorting until it was enveloped by an inky abyss.