In the state of excessive exhaustion, as much as she wanted to fight it, Vitaliana fell asleep in her grandmother's arms. And entered a dream state.
Huh?! What's this place?
Vitaliana looked around frantically trying to figure out where she was.
It's like a space of endless nothing? No, that's not it. I was in grandmother's arms last I remember. Is this a dream space? Let's see.
Vitaliana focused on what she wanted to see. And just like a lucid dream, the dreamer can control what happens in this space. A projection screen with a slightly blurred border appeared; what it showed was the currently desperate fight Vitaliana's elder sisters were currently fighting.
No! They're hurt! Mother! I don't want to lose them too!
Vitaliana panicked in her dream, her body trembling in the real world.
The only family… I've ever had…
Responding to Vitaliana's feelings, a figure appeared in her dreamscape. This was the figure of a gargantuanly large bird, with all of the hallmarks of a phoenix. Except, there was more to it than that, the figure felt familiar to Vitaliana.
"I knew I should have talked to you sooner. But hearing voices is different from seeing the speaker. You'll forgive me, right, my great granddaughter?" The figure spoke, regardless of what Vitaliana had tried to do.
Vitaliana stopped shouting into the void of her dreamscape upon hearing the voice. Instead she remained quiet and nodded her head obediently.
"Good, now, for starters, this is not exactly a dream. We are currently in the space of your soul. I think the humans once called it the, Soul Space, or something akin to that. Anyway, the point is, that this is all real. Too include the life or death battle your sisters are currently fighting. I too worry for them, their opponent is not one they could hope to face under normal circumstances. And they are growing exhausted by the second… I'd love nothing more than to save them myself. But if I appear, the world will surely suffer extensive damages. It's been a long time since I've constrained my power, and it's grown significantly since then."
"Great Grandmother, is there something I can do to help my sisters?" Vitaliana asked, wiping her tears away with her wings.
"Trust in your mother to save them in time. And believe that they will live through the fight. Your mother is about to become a True Phoenix. And in the most fury-full way possible. I doubt a Vampire of anything less than a progenitor would have a faint chance against her. Not when she's this ticked off. I've lost many of my own children over the course of my life. But that's how the monster's life goes, even so, it doesn't make it any easier when they don't come back."
There was a moment of silence between the two of them. During which, another projection appeared in the space, this time showing Eternia, or the ball of furious flames that contained her within. And all of the human souls being refined into nothing but raw energy.
"What is this!? All souls are just energy! A substantial amount to be sure but wow! So wait, how do the vampires reach their levels of power? Surely they can't do stuff like this?" Vitaliana asked, perking up a little bit at the sight of hope right before her eyes.
"That isn't as complicated as it might seem. Progenitor vampires have many immunities that the other nobles don't have. They too can gain strength in a halfway similar manner. Though it's granted to them by the god they worship. As opposed to growing over time… The method your mother is using is one of the ways deistic beings punish evil. While giving them the ultimate form of penance, in the way of supporting the strength of that very same deity."
"That's… These people deserved it. Being swindled by verbal diarrhea spewing liars, to the point of turning against the right path as if it was the problematic one all along. I… I just wish I could do more. If I had been able to bring my original status with me in its entirety, my magic might work well enough as a distraction at the very least. I hate this feeling! The demons were the ones in the right all along. If only my previous life's master had been around at that time… Or if I had bothered to obtain that skill…" Vitaliana said, half regretting her choices.
"Don't be like that, Vitaliana, you are far stronger than you realize. And have a far greater potential for growth now, than you ever did before. It will take you some time to develop, but go through the paces as they come. For now, just do the job you've been assigned. Then take a break while believing in your family to do their jobs… Oh, it seems like this is all the time I've got, much longer and too much of my influence will reach this world. For now, your job is to grow. Grow into the mighty phoenix I know you can become." Vitaliana's Great Grandmother finished expanding her wings in such a way she seemed perfectly divine. Then she vanished from the soul space.
Vitaliana was left there, alone, puzzled and confused.
What is all of this? I feel like something is different but if i had to explain it, I doubt I'd be able to find the words. But, I do feel calmer, like I know that everything will be alright. It's weird… But also a really nice feeling…
The soul space began to change a bit, creating a dip down in one spot. And then a mysterious fluid, condensing out of seemingly nothing, appeared and poured into the newly formed dip. Creating a small pond by the time it finished.
Is this… That thing? Oh what was it called again? Soul Force? No, Soul Knowledge? Ah, whatever, I'll call it soul fluid for now. I'm sure my family knows what it is. I'll ask about it once we get a chance. For now, let's focus my mind, body and soul. Bring them closer together to form a harmony of sorts. Surely that will increase my abilities. I can't let this body cause me any more problems… Ah, so that's why Monsters are so much stronger on average…