Ariadna woke up, feeling as though she had just emerged from a feverish dream. Her mind was clear but cold, and she sensed that some truth had slipped away from her, as if she had forgotten something important. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by beautiful lush grass, tall trees, and flowers that reminded her of her last life on Earth before her death. She reached out and touched them gently, a smile appearing on her face.
As she got up, she noticed Vayan sitting in the grass, his eyes closed. The moment he sensed her movement, his eyes flew open, and he sprang to his feet. He assessed her carefully and then bowed deeply, deciding she was fine. "I greet the heir of the Holy family of the God of Destruction and Renewal. I shall escort you to your room for a health assessment."
Ariadna looked at him, bewildered. "Brother, what are you talking about?"
He picked her up in his arms, and despite her attempts to squirm away, he said, "Let's get you checked first, and we can talk later. You were asleep for a week."
"A week!?" Ariadna exclaimed in shock. "What did I do? I don't remember anything!"
"What is the last thing you remember?" Vayan asked.
Before she could answer, she hesitated, trying to recall. "I don't really remember. Velor left, and then I remember being alone. After that, it's all fuzzy. It feels like I've forgotten something important."
Vayan nodded while carrying her. "It's good to try and remember as much as you can. Once you've been assessed and rested, our parents will be expecting you."
"But I don't know what happened! What did I do?" she asked, exasperated.
"You summoned the holy flame, destroyed part of the garden, and then resurrected it," he replied with a deadpan expression.
Ariadna stared at him. "You can't be serious. I know you aren't capable of joking. Did you hit your head during training or something?"
He looked down at her with a fierce gaze. "I will allow your disrespect only this once because of what you've been through. But if you speak like that again, you will be running laps around the training ground for a week."
With that, she fell silent, pondering the information he had just shared. While she didn't remember much, she felt... strange. However, there was no time for deep reflection. Vayan took her to her room, where she was bathed, dressed, and examined. The doctor confirmed she was sound and healthy, even if she seemed a bit confused. He advised everyone to give her time to gather her thoughts and approved her return to her normal schedule the next day.
Before leaving, Vayan told her that he would escort her to their parents' study in the evening. Once she was alone, Ariadna sat beside the window, gazing at the sky. She didn't feel like doing anything in particular. Her mind felt clear, yet she had a vague recollection of all the emotions that had flooded her earlier and the overwhelming force of the holy flame. It was almost familiar, but now she sensed something different.
There was a connection to the divine flame now. The connection was so faint that Ariadna could barely feel it, but she knew it was there. She didn't understand what it meant—how could she summon the divine flame all on her own? And how could she wield both of the God's attributes, Destruction and Renewal? She guessed that talking to her parents might provide some answers.
After thinking it over, she decided to leave the faint connection to the holy flame alone for now. She wanted to learn more before she risked burning anything else by accident. So, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift for a while, until Vayan called her to see their parents.