The three cloaked figures chanted verses, circling the altar with sweeping hand gestures, almost as if they were dancing.
Their sweeping gestures, timed to the rise and fall of their voices, gave off an eerie, ritualistic vibe. It was the kind of moment that made your skin crawl, like staring into the abyss only to feel it staring back.
Then, the fire split.
Yes, the fire split.
It split.
I've gotta say it three times, because it's important.
The fire divided into five parts, each shooting toward a corner of the altar.
"The sacred hearth has responded," someone in the audience whispered. Murmurs spread, and then, one by one, the crowd fell to their knees, bowing and praying fervently.
Okay, whatever just happened must be important.
I believe I have landed in a place filled with deeply religious people. In my world, while people preached endlessly about omniscient beings, there was no proof. Sure, fanatics existed, but they weren't overwhelming. Here, it's different. The presence of someone otherworldly watching, was in fact a reality here, not some drunken talk. After all, hadn't I heard Cassiopeia's voice when I'd nearly lost all hope? With just a prayer from the priestess.
I wonder if this fanaticism for constellations is widespread or if I'm stuck in the epicenter of it. Maybe the rest of the world was more... normal. At least, I hoped so.
Things are getting off track.
Welp.
The elders at the altar continued chanting, their voices rising and falling in rhythm.
Their hands movements made me think there might be some sort of ancient dance move involved here. I mean, imagine trying to combine yoga and chanting—there you go. Of Course not the sleeping postures, but you get the idea.
I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying, but judging by the way everyone around me seemed awestruck, it had to be something serious. Or maybe they just liked the sound of it. Who knows? The audience was completely wrapped up in it. Me? I just tried not to zone out too much.
The flames on the altar grew brighter, gradually changing color to match our hair. (Mine was golden.) They didn't just hover—they glided towards us.
I blinked in surprise as they neared. The elders raised their hands, finishing their chant with one final, deliberate motion. A dramatic pause hung in the air, the kind you'd expect when someone drops the mic after delivering the perfect line—or the final chord of a song.
Then the flames picked up speed, almost as if alive.
As the flame neared me, time slowed, and the world blurred, like a photo taken in portrait mode—everything faded except for me and the fire. Then…
Whoosh.
The fire came straight for my heart and entered my body.
And no, it wasn't hot at all.
Then I had the strangest experience.
You know when you feel like you're watching yourself from outside, like you're detached from your own body? That's exactly what happened.
I watched as my body was engulfed in the color of the flame, which eventually focused on my forehead.
It didn't even feel like I was looking at myself.
I'm still getting used to this body, with its blonde hair and blue eyes, so typical of a female lead. (Am I being obnoxious? Think what you will.)
And now this foreign body felt even stranger because the golden light on my forehead transformed into an eye.
Whoosh—again.
Suddenly, I was back inside my body, and I felt my third eye open. I felt my senses become sharper, my thoughts clearer than they'd ever been. My entire life flashed before my eyes. And by entire, I mean literally everything.
From birth to death—yes, even as a newborn with barely any vision. I saw the shadowy figure I believe to be my mother leave me as the manager had told me. Witnessing it firsthand tore at me even more.
I saw my first crawl, my first steps, the hopeful moments when families came to adopt... only to walk away with someone else. I watched my younger self endure bullying, then being introduced to novels and finding comfort in them. Time moved ahead, playing before my eyes like a movie. My 18th birthday, job hunting, part-time work, Maya everything.
My life laid bare before me, until the moment I crashed.
I even saw the novel I read before my death, and now, I know every part of it by heart, at least till I had read it—even the names. I just need to cross-check with my sisters, but I'm pretty sure this is it. The kingdoms' names match.
Wow. I guess I do have some overpowered skills. This feels even more unrealistic now. I know I'm special in this world of magic, but I'm still not sure just how special.
As my thoughts spiraled, I felt an unexplainable clarity, as if the dirty lens had been wiped clean.
But guess what? My transformation wasn't over.
I felt like one of those girls in a group—when they're about to fight, they transform. After all look at my situation.
Group? Check.
Powers? Check.
Transformation? Check.
Wow, I guess we just need villains now.
The skin on my hand began to heat, and a blue tattoo began wrapping around my arms, forming into a galaxy on the back of my hand.
And I felt Maya with me. No—that's not quite right. It was as if she was within me.
Yes, she wasn't gone, she was here, with me.
My tattoo shined blue, and there she was—small, soft, and very much alive. My baby, now a little kitty again, was in my arms. She looked just like before, except her eyes—they held galaxies within them.
The lights dimmed as I cradled Maya, who snuggled into me, her eyes gleaming. My furry fluffball, how I had missed her.
I finally glanced around. My sisters had all undergone their own transformations: Elanor's head was literally aflame, Alice had pink sparkles floating around her with eyes that shifted colors, Dorothy was surrounded by vines and plants, Iris gleamed silver, and had a mark of Cassiopeia on her forehead.