The submerged pathway rippled beneath Delia's feet as she stepped forward. The water was unnaturally still, parting as if welcoming her, while the glowing runes along the walls shifted—responding to her presence.
Scarlett, walking beside her, cautiously dipped a boot into the water. "So, uh… why isn't this ice-cold? It feels almost… alive."
Aui, studying the shifting glow, hummed in agreement. "This water isn't normal. It's infused with ancient magic… maybe even something close to divine."
Delia didn't respond immediately. She could feel it. The presence of something watching—not hostile, but… expectant.
Like it's waiting for me to remember something.
With a deep breath, she continued forward.
The group followed, their reflections dancing in the water's glow as they descended.
The path eventually led them into a grand chamber, the ceiling stretching impossibly high. In the center stood a massive, floating sphere of water, suspended in the air like a beating heart.
It pulsed with an ethereal glow, faint whispers resonating through the space.
Delia stepped closer, her pulse syncing with the energy.
And then—
The water shifted.
A shape formed within, a graceful silhouette emerging from the depths. She had no true physical body, only a flowing, liquid form that shimmered like moonlight on the ocean.
A soft, motherly voice echoed through the chamber.
"You've come far, child of the Progenitors."
Delia inhaled sharply. The voice was gentle yet ancient, carrying the weight of time itself.
The water figure's gaze settled on her. "You do not yet remember… but I remember you, Delia."
Delia's fingers twitched. "Who… are you?"
The figure smiled, the water around her shifting in soothing waves.
"I am but a fragment of Maia, Mother of All. A guardian of what once was… and what will be again."
Scarlett and Aui exchanged uncertain glances, but Delia's world had narrowed to the elemental before her.
"You are lost, my dear child… searching for answers you once held in your grasp."
Delia clenched her fists. "Then tell me. What am I?"
A brief silence.
Then, the elemental's form shimmered, and a single droplet of water floated toward Delia, landing gently on her forehead.
The moment it touched her skin—A flood of memories surged forth.
The world around her vanished.
She was standing on a battlefield of shattered stars, her hands stained with blood that glowed like molten gold. Around her, fallen warriors lay in silence, their armor broken, their weapons cast aside.
And in the distance, atop a throne carved from ice and bone, sat a woman who looked exactly like her.
But this version of Delia was different.
She was colder, her expression unreadable, her dark eyes gleaming with unfathomable power.
"You failed, child." The other Delia's voice rang with authority.
The vision fractured—
Delia gasped as she was ripped back to the present, collapsing to her knees as water dripped from her hair.
Scarlett rushed forward. "Delia! Are you okay?"
Aui narrowed her eyes. "You saw something."
Delia's breathing was uneven, her mind
reeling. The words still echoed in her skull—
"You failed, child."
She didn't understand.
Not yet.
But she would.
Because now…
She knew the truth was buried in her past.
And she would unearth it.
Delia's breath was ragged, her fingers trembling as the echoes of the vision faded.
The warmth of Scarlett's hand on her shoulder grounded her, but the weight of what she had seen refused to leave her mind.
"You failed, child."
The words carried judgment, yet also… something else. Expectation? Regret? She couldn't tell.
The water elemental—this fragment of Maia—watched her carefully, the ancient, knowing patience in her liquid gaze making Delia feel small.
"You have seen a glimpse of what was." The elemental's voice was gentle, yet firm. "But memories alone will not give you the answers you seek."
Delia swallowed hard, forcing herself to steady her breath. "Then what will?"
A deep silence followed. The water around them stilled, and the glowing runes pulsed once—as if marking a shift in something unseen.
"Choice."
Delia blinked. "Choice?"
The elemental's form shimmered, shifting fluidly as she tilted her head. "You are at a crossroads, child of the Progenitors. To move forward, you must decide—will you seek the truth? Or will you turn away, fearing what it might reveal?"
Delia felt Scarlett tense beside her. Aui, as always, remained calm, though her sharp gaze suggested she was analyzing every word.
Delia exhaled. "Of course, I'm going to seek the truth."
The elemental smiled, but it was an expression filled with both sadness and pride.
"Then be warned."
The chamber rumbled, and the massive sphere of water behind the elemental shifted, revealing something hidden within—
A floating sigil, glowing with a mix of gold and deep blue, ancient patterns shifting across its surface.
"Your path will not be gentle. The past you seek is heavy… and not all truths are meant to be embraced."
Delia's heart pounded. She knew this wasn't just a simple warning. This was a test.
Scarlett crossed her arms. "So? If mother wants to find out, she should just go for it. We're with her."
Aui nodded. "We are. But this isn't something we can help her with, Scarlett." She turned to Delia. "This… is something you have to face alone, isn't it?"
The elemental gave a slow nod. "She understands."
Delia licked her lips. "So what do I do?"
The sigil pulsed, sending ripples through the air.
"Take it. If you are ready to bear the weight of the past—claim your inheritance."
Delia stared at the floating sigil.
The power it radiated was unlike anything she had ever felt. It wasn't just magic—it was a part of her, something ancient, buried deep within her being.
Her fingers twitched.
Her heart pounded.
And then—
She stepped forward.
Reaching out, she placed her palm against the sigil.
The moment she made contact—
The world exploded into light.
A New awakening.
Delia felt it before she understood it.
A surge of energy poured into her, cold and hot, heavy and weightless all at once.
Images flooded her mind—
A throne carved from ice and bone.
A war that shattered the heavens.
A hand reaching for her—before fading into darkness.
And then—
A voice.
One she hadn't heard before, yet recognized immediately.
"Welcome back, Progenitor."
Delia gasped, eyes snapping open—
—only to find herself standing somewhere new.
A place that felt familiar, yet utterly unknown.
And in front of her, waiting patiently—
Was herself.
Not the regal, eerie figure from before—
But someone else.
Someone even older.
The first Delia.
The true beginning.
And she was smiling.
The ancient version of herself stood before her, dressed in flowing robes that shimmered between deep blue and celestial gold. Her presence was neither oppressive nor kind—just there, watching, waiting.
Delia swallowed. "You're… me?"
The First Delia tilted her head slightly, long silver-streaked black hair cascading over her shoulder. "You could say that."
Her voice was soft yet carried undeniable authority, a whisper that commanded as much as it soothed.
Delia's chest tightened. "What does that even mean? Why am I here? What is this place?"
The First Delia sighed, glancing around. The space was vast, like a mirror of the world but without detail—only faint outlines of mountains, rivers, and a massive tree in the far distance.
"This is the Inheritance Realm," she said at last. "A place that only those truly ready may enter."
Delia frowned. "Inheritance of what?"
The First Delia met her gaze, and for the first time, Delia felt small.
"The truth of the Progenitors."
Delia's breath hitched.
"Who we were. What we are. And why you… exist."
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.
Delia felt the weight of them pressing on her, but she didn't back down.
"I need to know," she said, voice steady. "Tell me."
The First Delia's gaze softened ever so slightly.
"Then listen well, child."
She raised a hand, and the world around them shifted.
Suddenly—
Delia was no longer standing in the empty realm.
She was there.
In the past.
In a time before the world she knew even existed.
She stood on a battlefield, the sky above a swirling maelstrom of darkness and fire. The ground was shattered, rivers of molten light cutting through the ruins of a civilization long forgotten.
And in the midst of it all—
They stood.
The Progenitors.
Beings of overwhelming presence, draped in celestial power, their mere existence bending reality.
And at the center of them… was her.
The First Delia.
Not as she appeared now, but as a war goddess, draped in obsidian armor, wielding a blade that hummed with the power of creation itself.
And she was fighting.
Not against an army.
Not against a kingdom.
But against a being of shadow and hunger, wreathed in tendrils of unmaking.
The air shook with each clash. The very laws of the world screamed as their battle raged.
And then—
Delia saw it.
The moment it all changed.
The moment she fell.
The moment she was forced to forget.
She gasped as the vision abruptly shattered, yanked back into the Inheritance Realm.
Her knees buckled, heart pounding, breath ragged.
The First Delia watched her silently.
"Now you begin to understand."
Delia's hands clenched into fists. "What was that?"
"The truth."
Her gaze darkened.
"You are not simply Delia. You are a remnant of something far greater. And it is time… for you to reclaim it."
The world rippled, the massive tree in the distance beginning to glow—
And Delia knew.
This was only the first step.