The first thing the soul heard was a sigh that reverberated throughout the air. The anguish in that breath gave the soul a start as consciousness finally took hold.

The souls first thought was how beautiful the temple they stood in was. The etched pillars that stood much taller than them were made of some sort of black, glossy stone that held no ceiling above them, instead the pillars seemed to hold up the very stars above them.

A slight dizziness was felt the longer they stared up, making them hold their head and look down at the obsidian floor they stood on. What shocked them was how their form was almost non-existent. What was once their body was an ethereal form that looked like mist held loosely together.

Just as they tried to think it was a dream, images flashed through their head. Every memory they had, every emotion, every feeling they felt, all came crashing in their head all at once. The harshest memory was the last one they remembered.

Images of war flashed vividly, like a screenplay behind their eyes. People they knew and loved were flying through the sky in armor that hugged their figures, neon wings of various colors above each of their backs. The name they were given brought fear to their enemies, and their platoon was the forefront when it came to fighting those like the giant that stood taller than any building man had built.

'Angel Wing Battalion: Demon Squad.' Yes, that was their title. In a world where the image of Angels and Demons had been tainted, they took that name when fighting the very Gods that laid waste to their world.

They remembered getting in range to launch a barrage of shots at the weakened God, forcing him to focus on them rather than the troops on the ground. As the God launched an attack that filled the sky with lances of fire, they all took maneuvers to avoid them. The rush of orders and screams that filled the intercom at the time cursed their mind and brought an array of pain and anger.

They remembered watching their closest friend getting grabbed by the God and getting crushed like a bug, throwing them in a rage to drop their pistols and rush at the God with their spear.

They remembered getting pierced by a flame lance that tore their leg off, that searing pain only fueling their rage as they flew at the God's core. The feeling of their spear crushing the core, then...

"Nothing, correct?" A sad voice rang out, causing the soul to jump and look around the temple.

As they found the source of the saddened voice, they fell in their knees in shock. At the other end of the temple stood a woman wrapped in white and black silk. Their hair looked of a starry night, midnight black that reached all the way down to her middle back that shone with the stars of the galaxy it made up. Those eyes that sat on her pale face were a deep black that threatened to consume them of they stared to much, but they couldn't turn away from such beauty that wasn't found on their world. It was then that they realized how grief stricken the woman's face was, causing them to take a step forward and raise a misty hand.

The feeling that followed brought an intense and instinctual anger. The images of Gods tearing her world apart and killing innocent people flew behind their eyes once again and made them take a stance to defend themselves.

Instead of attacking, the woman shed a starry tear and held up a gently glowing hand. "Blessed Child, please. Withdraw your anger and listen to what I have to say."

Shut it. I've no reason to listen to a God. What is this place? An illusion? A trap? Where the hell am I?

"Blessed Child, please calm yourself. You've no idea the danger such anger brings to your soul." The woman spoke softly as she lowered her hand, trying to calm the poor soul before her.

My soul? Are you...wait, am I? What the hell, I was just fine moments ago...

The soul finally pieced everything together and looked back down at themself. Or rather, herself. Yes, she was once a woman, granted one in her later years, but she was a proud woman standing with her comrads in war. Wait, if she was dead, perhaps she could meet those that perished before her?

The Goddess simply shook her head at the souls thoughts. With a wave of her hand, the world the soul came from suddenly appeared in the center of the temple as she explained. "Unfortunately, your influence over religion wasn't all that great. Though you preached my name, the people had given up on the God's and instead sent their faith towards you. Even now, people sing songs of your valor and pray to your soul every day."

The news shook the soul to her very core. Did this mean the war was over finally? Was that truly the last God that corrupted their world?

Wait a moment, you said they're praying to my soul? Are they crazy? I mean, by the Moon, are you sure they are actually praising me instead of trying to damn my soul?

"Can we please not use my name and damn in the same sentence, it leaves a bad taste you know." The Goddess sighed as she shook her head.

...Wait, don't tell me...

"I believe it's about time introductions were done. Hello, my child. I am Mother Moon, also known as Lady Night, it's a pleasure to finally meet my most devoted follower." Lady Night spoke softly as she gave a deep bow and a warm smile.

The soul took a step back as she tried to absorb the sudden news. She'd only followed the Moon because of her clan, but to think such a Goddess was actually real. This news was amazing, but something kept scratching at the back of her mind.

Don't tell me...are you-?

"I am nothing like the God's you've felled, my child. I am to old for power struggles and the like, I only seek the balance us older God's must achieve."

Balance, huh? What do you call what happened on my world then?

"There is much to explain about what happened on your world, but I am not allowed to speak of it yet. All I can say, is that things are much different than from what you have seen."

The Goddess fell silent after a soft sigh. Given how depressed she was, the soul could only speculate it was something far above her. Either way, what she'd done and who she'd killed didn't matter to her anymore. Finally, she was allowed to rest after all those years of fighting.

"My child, this isn't the end for you, so please do not get the wrong idea."

The soul folded her arms over her misty chest and cocked a brow out of habit. Though her head was only mist, the Goddess could see her expression quite clearly.

"I must apologize, but I am in need of your services."

If this is about another war...

"It is, but you'll have sufficient time to prepare for it in the world I wish to send you in. Though there are God's at war on this world, I must ask that you do not kill them."

The soul clicked her tongue and turned away. She had a guess at where this was going, and the thought disgusted to her core.

"Yes, I must ask that you bring both the God's and Mortals under one banner in preparation."

That is simply impossible and you know it. I've already tried it once, and was met by a blade to my heart.

"It is different this time. Among your titles, you've acquired Seeker of Peace after many attempts to quell the anger on both sides."

And I'm here after killing the last God. What peace can I find when no one wishes to listen?

"Do not fret, child. This time, you'll have a place to start and a real objective outside of freedom."

Yes yes, to ally with the God's and bring them all together to...wait, who are you planning to fight that an entire world is needed?

"I'm glad to see your instincts weren't affected. This enemy I speak of is one you'll have to learn about much later. For now, I only ask that you go forth and bring peace to this world."

The soul fell silent as she turned around and weighed her options. Sure, she sound of eternal rest sounded great and all, but she knew deep down she would regret not accepting her Goddess' request.

After a sigh, she scratched the back of her head and turned to face the Goddess once more.

Fine, but only this once. If I die suddenly again, I want no complaints on how I did.

The Goddess gave a sad smile at the mention of the soul dying again. After a sigh of relief though, she changed her tune and brought up an image of another world.

"The world you will be going to is named Everfall. I'm sure you can imagine why it's named so."

Eternal war. I'm guessing it's a world made to combat the thing you mentioned earlier?

"Sharp. After a few thousand years, the God's there have chosen to forget their objectives and ended up vying for control over eachother. You'll understand once you learn of the worlds history."

The soul nodded as she eyed the world and took in the different landscapes and ocean fronts. It was primarily the same design as her world, though the planet was twice the size and glowed a dim blue.

I'm guessing this world uses Aether freely?

"Sadly, no. Where both you and I use Aether, they use Mana in this world. Think of it as the building blocks of life for them."

And the dangers?

"I'm sure you've read up on fantasy worlds in your spare time. Demonic Beasts, elementals, spirits. The only difference is that demonic beings such as Gnomes, Goblins as you call them, Beast-Kin, Stone-Folk, Dwarves as you know them, and the like are welcomed in the world. All races fight in both fronts after all."

A world filled with nothing but war. Don't tell me....

"Your assumption is correct. Your first task is to gather the remnants of a long culled resistance faction." Lady Night sighed as she gestured to the orb before them.

As she did, she made the orb zoom in on a specific forest in the biggest continent of the world. The first thing the soul noticed was how the forest thrived over the rest of the land around it. It was almost as if no one dared to go in. A chill was almost felt as she stared at the forest, causing her to turn to the Goddess and glare once more.

This forest...don't tell me the people of this world believes it to be cursed...

"It took quite a bit of effort, but I've been using my powers to keep this forest as a barrier for my followers. Where you see them as a resistance, they are actually your kin. Though their faith in me isn't as strong as yours, it is still enough to hold the barrier. However..."

Their faith is waning. Thus the barrier is drastically weakened.

Seeing the look on the Goddess' face confirmed her thoughts. The soul quickly began to think of various situations that could happen if the forest itself were to fall. A thriving place where resources were plentiful, and could be used as a secret base...

Wait, don't tell me this place is in neutral ground.

"I truly wished you hadn't thought of that, but yes. This forest is between both the Light and Dark factions front lines. Though the main field of battle is in this valley at the edges of the forest, it stands in the most danger of attack." Lady Night sighed once more as she placed her hand on her chest.

How long had it been since a mortal soul was able to make her sigh so much? Not even that, she was pleasantly surprised once more on how calmly the soul was dealing with her. Perhaps it was due to her natural hatred of Dieties themselves, or simply due to her entire life being filled with nothing but war. Either way, it was refreshing to have a soul that didn't just bow to her will.

Perhaps this was why this child was her favorite?

I assume you know what I need then?

"This is where things will be difficult for you. You will need to learn to use Mana if you wish to use the equipment you've come to rely on. This means you will be starting from the ground up." Lady Night was barely able to keep a straight face as she spoke.

The souls reaction to hearing that she needed to start over was quite refreshing somehow. She could understand now why the mothers she watched would tease their children so often. Even then, she knew how hard it would be for this child to accept how helpless they would be if she were told things in such a roundabout way.

And my equipment?

"You'll have your suit and AI, but you'll need to learn how to use Mana to make them work as you wish. You'll be receiving another gift from me in the near future, as well as enough Aether to help you survive for a bit. The rest will be on you."

One last-

"I'm sorry, my child, truly. There is nothing within my powers that could bring her back to you." The Goddess closed her eyes and turned away as the depressing words left her lips.

She didn't have to read her child's thoughts to know what she truly wanted, but her hands were tied when it came to this. She could feel the deep grief growing in her child, and quickly changed the subject by gesturing back to the world.

"That is why I wish for you to go here. Not just to assist in my duties, but to find what you have lost so long ago."

You and I both know that will never happen. The soul shot back with a glare. No matter how angry she wanted to be, the grief she felt was much more overpowering. If it weren't for her misty form, she would've cried for the first time in 60 years.

"Oh, my child, how I pray you fill the void in your heart once more with something that will help you accept what has happened. Though your path will be filled with blood, those around you will be the key to finding who you truly are."

As the Goddess spoke these words, the realm around them slowly began to disappear around the soul. Surprised by the sudden shift, the soul reached out to Lady Night to try and escape.

Mother!

"Follow your heart. Though I wish for your success in your mission, I pray you find your peace."

As these last words rang in the souls head, darkness invaded her head and made her feel drowsy for the first time since she came to the realm. Helpless, she could only sigh and accept her new fate.

"Arise, Nix. My Child, my Seeker of Peace."