Yuuna inserted the key into the lock of the sprawling countryside estate. The tumblers clicked, and the heavy oak door creaked open, revealing a world she'd only glimpsed in her grandparents' faded photographs.
Dust motes danced in shafts of afternoon sunlight, illuminating a grand foyer that seemed to stretch impossibly far. She struggled to reconcile the quaint cottage of her childhood memories with this... resort?
A melodic voice cut through her bewilderment. "Welcome home, Miss Saki. We've been eagerly awaiting your arrival."
Yuuna whirled, coming face-to-face with a woman of breathtaking beauty. Her features were delicate, almost fox-like, framed by flowing black hair.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Yuuna stammered.
The woman's lips curved into an enigmatic smile. "Forgive me. I'm Daji, your secretary. I've been maintaining the resort's affairs since your grandparents'... departure."
Daji. The name tickled something in the recesses of Yuuna's mind, a half-remembered myth from her college folklore classes. But surely it was just a coincidence?
"Resort?" Yuuna's brow furrowed. "I thought this was just a house."
Daji's laughter was like wind chimes in a summer breeze. "Oh, my dear, it's so much more than that. Come, let me show you."
As they walked, Yuuna's head spun. The corridors seemed to stretch and twist, defying the laws of physics. They passed rooms filled with shimmering pools, others with lush indoor gardens, and still others that appeared to open onto entirely different landscapes.
"How is this possible?" Yuuna whispered.
Daji smiled.
They entered a bustling dining hall, where the smell of a hundred exotic dishes mingled. Yuuna's gaze was drawn to a striking woman with piercing eyes, expertly balancing a tray laden with ambrosia and nectar.
"That's Athena," Daji murmured. "She insists on waiting tables, says it keeps her connected to the mortals."
Before Yuuna could process that statement, a booming laugh echoed through the hall. Her eyes darted to its source: a grizzled man with an eyepatch, flanked by two younger men — one fair-haired and muscular, the other lithe and dark.
"Odin and his boys, Thor and Loki," Daji explained. "Regular guests. They can be... a bit rowdy."
As if on cue, the dark-haired one — Loki? — snapped his fingers. The cutlery on their table sprang to life, dancing an intricate jig. Thor roared with laughter, while Odin merely rolled his eyes, taking a deep draught from a flagon that never seemed to empty.
Yuuna's knees wobbled. 'My grandparents are something else…'
A gentle hand steadied her elbow.
She turned to find herself face-to-face with a large monkey — clutching a staff that looked suspiciously like a gnarled peach tree branch.
"Oh, it's real alright, little miss," he chuckled. "As real as that crown on your head."
Yuuna quickly checked her hair, finding nothing there. The old monkey chuckled and hobbled away, his staff tapping a jaunty rhythm.
"What is this place?" Yuuna demanded, rounding on Daji.
The foxy secretary said, "It's a sanctuary, Miss Saki. A place where myth and reality blur, where gods and monsters can find respite from the weight of their legends. Your grandparents built it, nurtured it. And now — it falls to you."
Yuuna thought, 'I can see why my grandparents wanted to keep this a secret.'
Her breath caught in her throat.
'Demigods are often hidden from their godly parents to protect them from the dangers of the mythological world or to protect them from jealous gods. Am I a demigod? Are my parents and grandparents gods? But I still feel human. I don't feel any awakening power or anything…'
She looked out over the dining hall, really seeing it for the first time. A centaur chatted with a woman whose hair writhed with serpents. In a shadowy corner, a figure in a hood that seemed to swallow light itself nursed a steaming mug of cocoa.
"I don't... I can't…" Yuuna stammered.
Daji's hand found hers, squeezing gently. "You can, and you will. It's in your blood, Yuuna. You're the Keeper of Myths now." Her eyes glimmered. "Trust me."
As if in response to Daji's words, the very air around them pulsed. She felt something stir deep within her, a power she never knew she possessed.
The torch had been passed. The legacy continued.
And in a resort where reality was negotiable, Yuuna Saki took her first steps into a world of legends.