Once again, I found myself adrift in the realm of the everlasting.
It was unchanged—utterly silent, devoid of wind, earth, or direction. A boundless void stretched before me, like the bottomless depths of a tranquil, still lake. Yet this time, something was different—God was no longer here.
Instead, within the tranquil expanse, a magnificent silver rose emerged. It hovered in the void like a lifeless planet adrift in the cosmos. Each petal shimmered as though forged from divine metal, tightly closed, and yet radiating a gentle, moonlit glow that bathed the surrounding emptiness in silvery luminescence.
I stood still, breathless. A powerful intuition stirred within my chest—this was no ordinary dream. Something ancient was waiting to awaken.
Just as I took a step closer, the rose trembled.
A crystalline chime rang out, clear as glass bells brushing in a sacred breeze, echoing through the void. The petals began to shift—slowly, with an otherworldly grace. Silver veins glowed along the petals, like rivers of living light etched into celestial steel.
The light grew more brilliant, shifting from silver into a cascade of iridescent hues—rainbow colors weaving through the space as if painting a mythical fresco in midair. And then, at the very heart of the rose, a form began to emerge—tiny, fragile, curled like a dream nestled in the womb of eternity.
It was a being in humanoid shape—but no ordinary human. She was barely the size of a small pup, her delicate frame draped in a translucent white robe that shimmered like starlight with each gentle breath. Her golden hair, soft as sunlight, flowed across her sleeping face like strands of dawn.
And then, she stirred.
The tiny spirit stretched languidly, like a child waking from a slumber that had lasted a thousand years.
"That was way too long of a nap!" she said, her voice ringing like silver chimes in the night—light, musical, and effervescent with youthful mischief.
I froze—not knowing whether to marvel at her ethereal beauty or to panic at the unfolding mystery before me.
She floated up gracefully, unbound by gravity. Wings unfurled behind her—gossamer and glass-like, whispering like wind brushing crystal. Their hues shifted with every movement, a dance of blues and greens that shimmered like moonlight on deep water.
Her ears were long and pointed, reminiscent of an ancient race older than time. And her eyes—oh, those eyes! They were the color of the abyssal sea, vast and deep, as though harboring thousands of forgotten fairytales.
She looked at me, bright with life.
"Ah! You must be Marcus, right?" she tilted her head, her voice as carefree as a spring breeze.
I blinked, startled but steadying myself. "Yes… that's me. And you are?"
The tiny fae smiled, dipping into an elegant curtsy like a noble lady.
"Allow me to introduce myself! I am the dazzling, one and only Erika—your personal spirit guide!" she said, crossing her arms and grinning as if she'd just shared a delightful joke.
"Spirit guide?" I echoed, my voice caught between awe and confusion. "What does that even mean?"
Erika twirled around me in a spiral of golden hair and moonlit sparkles.
"My sisters and I are spiritfolk—entities born of divine blessings. We represent the boons gifted by the Almighty to individuals, nations, or even entire bloodlines. Basically—we're incredibly versatile!" she winked mid-flight, half-serious, half-playful.
I swallowed hard. It felt like I had been thrown into the heart of a myth, and the story was only just beginning.
"So… where is God, then? Why didn't He appear?"
She shrugged midair. "He's dealing with… uh, some high-level interdimensional bugs. Imagine trying to manage thousands of reality layers going haywire—fun times. So, He sent an exquisite emissary like me in His stead."
She hovered closer—so close I could feel the cool, forest-mist scent that clung to her presence.
"Don't worry! I'll deliver the full message. Hehehe."
I frowned slightly. "So if you're my spirit… that means…?"
Erika soared upward, spun in the void like a dancer caught in divine rhythm.
"Exactly! From now on, I'm your personal guardian. With me around, you're basically a tiger with wings!"
"Normally, spirits only appear during Blessing ceremonies. But you're a special case—so I can link with your mind whenever, wherever!"
"Because… I was resurrected?" I asked quietly, a heaviness falling over my thoughts.
"Yup. And not just that. The Almighty has entrusted you with a mission."
I looked up, my heart beginning to pound. "A mission…?"
Erika nodded solemnly, her playfulness fading into gravity.
"Yes. Your task… is to eliminate the Thirteen Fallen Archspirits."
The words struck me like bells tolling from the steeple of fate.
"The… what? Why me?"
She hovered in place, a thoughtful look shadowing her youthful face.
"The Fallen were once Archspirits—primordial beings born from the breath of creation itself. But over eons, many were corrupted… by mortal ambition, by hunger for power, by unspeakable desires. They lost their purity. Some became tyrants ruling forgotten kingdoms. Others manipulate entire empires from behind veils of secrecy. And a few… roam the realms in search of forbidden knowledge."
"One by one, they slipped into darkness. And now, they threaten the balance of existence itself."
I clenched my fists, my thoughts in disarray. Why would such a task fall to someone like me?
"The Almighty chose you because you are reborn. You have seen death… and returned. You carry the weight of two lives. And because of that—He believes in you. No one else can walk this path."
A heavy silence fell between us.
I could feel my hands trembling. The task was no small quest—it was a battle against gods forgotten, spirits twisted by time into monsters beyond comprehension.
"Then… if He has given His word… I can only obey."
Erika smiled, reaching out her small hand toward mine.
"We hope to walk this path with you, Marcus."
I looked at her hand—small, aglow with spiritlight, shining like a beacon in the void. I reached out, and clasped it.
"I'll do my best."
At that moment, three chimes rang out—loud, clear, and holy. They echoed like cathedral bells through the unseen realms.
The light around us began to unravel, fading into glittering motes of silver dust. The dream was ending. The ceremony… complete.