When Lith awoke, he found himself in the same grand hall, seated upon the massive, ethereal throne. Yet, something was different. A strange sensation spread through him, unfamiliar yet profound. He looked down at his hands—and his heart raced in a surge of panic. His skin had taken on a deep cerulean-purple hue, shimmering as though he were made not of flesh, but of the vast cosmos itself. His form remained human in shape, yet each inch of his body was composed of countless stars, galaxies, and nebulae, swirling within him in a mesmerizing, infinite dance. Between these cosmic clusters, rivers of brilliant purple energy flowed, pulsating like lifeblood through the depths of his new being.
A rising sense of fear and disorientation overtook him. Lith's mind struggled to process this transformation, a tidal wave of questions and emotions crashing within him—fear, confusion, and an instinctual sense of loss for the humanity he could feel slipping away.
Amid his panic, Celestara's soothing voice broke through his thoughts. "Master, don't worry," she reassured him, her tone calm and steady. "In order to make your body strong enough to contain my power, I transformed your cells into their original form. You are no longer a human as you once were, but something far greater."
Lith looked up, still shaken, his eyes wide with shock. "What… what are 'original cells'? And what is this… 'Primordial Chosen Race'?"
Celestara smiled gently, understanding his confusion. "Master, original cells are known as the 'First Cells,' the building blocks of the universe's earliest beings. Humans have roughly fifty trillion cells, but if a mortal were to gain original cells, their cell count would multiply beyond counting. In your case, I transformed your cells, and then began infusing my power into you. Your cells absorbed that power, evolving continuously until each cell became a cosmos in its own right. When they reached their peak, they erupted and split, forming countless new cells until your body reached an infinite capacity. Only now can you fully wield my power without limitation."
Lith took a shaky breath, his mind reeling. The thought of being remade on such a fundamental level was both awe-inspiring and unsettling. Yet, his panic slowly faded as he absorbed her words. Finally, steadying himself, he looked at her with a trace of the calm he'd regained. "Why… why did you choose me?"
At this, Celestara's gaze softened. She stepped toward him, then gracefully seated herself on his lap, brushing her fingers gently over his chest, her expression admiring and tender. "Master, let me tell you the truth about your past."
Lith's eyes widened, his curiosity now overcoming his fear. For as long as he remembered, he'd been plagued by the emptiness of lost memories. Now, he clung to her every word, eager to finally understand his past.
Celestara continued, her voice gentle yet resolute. "The body you inhabit was not originally yours. One year ago, you were a newborn soul, destined to be reborn as a human infant. But I saw you, felt the strength within you, and chose you as my master, merging my essence with your soul. Because of this, your rebirth was altered. You were never born as a human."
Her fingers traced a slow line across his chest, grounding him as she spoke. "Searching for a suitable vessel, I found this body—a young man whose life was fading. I reached out to him and offered a trade: he would surrender his body to you, and in return, I would fulfill one final wish. He agreed, asking only that you attend the Star Academy and graduate from there. Because his memories were not yours, the void you feel in your past is his life, not yours."
Lith felt a strange ache within him—a deep, hollow loss. The mystery of his missing memories, his unknown past, had haunted him for so long, and the answer felt both relieving and strangely painful.
He sat in silence, processing her words. Finally, as if a quiet resolve had ignited within him, he met Celestara's gaze, his voice steady. "I'll fulfill his last wish."
A smile of approval softened her face, and she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a deep, lingering kiss, a gesture of loyalty and devotion that transcended words. In that moment, Lith felt the warmth of her power and purpose fill him, grounding him as he prepared to embrace his new life, his new destiny.