Annierouge Plenituse stood in the grand chamber, her figure small in comparison to the towering pillars that stood before her. These seven ethereal pillars gleamed with power. Their presence alone exuded a power so profound that even Annierouge felt herself shrinking under their gaze. Her trident held firmly in her grasp. She lowered it to the floor and dropped to one knee. Her head bowed in deference.
"Dear Goddesses, I have come to report that Sentina Erideae, the Divines who survived the Epoch Cycle, have successfully completed the trials."
She remained bowed, her tone reverberating through the vast space.
"They will arrive at Nyramith Island by the morning. The tides have been set in their favor and the island awaits their arrival."
A long, tense silence followed her words. The towering pillars did not speak at first. Their presence was overwhelmingly intense. Finally, one of the voices, deep and powerful yet feminine, spoke, sending ripples through the stillness.
"Annierouge, is Vastarael Richinaria among them?"
Annierouge's expression faltered slightly. She could not hide the disdain that flickered in her eyes at the mention of the name, nor the tightening of her jaw.
"Yes. Vastarael Richinaria is among the group. But... I am not particularly pleased by his presence."
The voice of the pillar seemed to flicker, its light pulsing faintly in the chamber.
"Why?"
Annierouge's voice tightened as she recounted the details of the trial that had taken place.
"He killed the Octobehemoth, the weakest of the Eleven Sealed Beasts. As a First Enlightenment Divine. Do you understand? The sheer audacity. The creature was barely worthy of his time and yet he defeated it with such... ease."
Another voice spoke up from the shadows of the chamber, its tone lilting, almost amused, yet tinged with a profound sense of disbelief.
"The Octobehemoth? The Octobehemoth is the weakest of the Eleven, yes. But even so... for a First Enlightenment Divine to defeat it so effortlessly is nothing short of impressive."
Annierouge's gaze hardened.
"He doesn't deserve to be in their company. It's as if he's trying to prove something that should have been buried long ago. He carries the blood of a traitor Hydroborn," she said, almost spitting the words as they left her lips.
Silence fell for a moment. The pillars seemed to stir as their energy radiated and hummed around the room. Then, the same voice that had questioned her before spoke again, its tone now severe.
"Do not mock Vastarael Richinaria so easily, Annierouge. We may not agree with his lineage, but you forget that he is the son of the Seventh Goddess. Do not make the mistake of underestimating his claim or his importance."
Annierouge's expression darkened further and she opened her mouth to retort, but before she could speak, another voice cut through the tension.
"You forget your place, Annierouge. He may not be of our line, but Vastarael Richinaria is the descendant of the Third Hydroborn. His blood is stronger than yours. And even more, his claim is stronger than yours. Vastarael has more rights and privileges than you could ever claim. And you would do well to remember that."
A tremor of shock ran through Annierouge. Her head snapped up. She was stunned. And yet, the voice continued.
"Do not think your scorn will go unpunished. If you disrespect him, the Seventh Goddess will have words for you. And trust me when I say you will not enjoy them."
Annierouge's throat tightened and for the first time, she felt an icy chill crawl down her spine. The Seventh Goddess, the matriarch of the Hydroborn, whose name was whispered only in reverence and fear. She had been a figure of legend, an entity of immeasurable power who had vanished into the annals of history, yet whose influence was still felt across Spheraphase. Annierouge had spoken of her as a traitor but here, in this moment, she realized just how dangerous it was to do so.
She closed her eyes, bowing her head again in repentance, her voice strained with guilt.
"I... I apologize, Mother. I was wrong. Please, forgive me."
A long silence followed, and then, the voice softened. It was almost... maternal.
"You carry too much hate for the Seventh Goddess. Let go of it, Annierouge. If you let that hate fester, it will poison you. It will poison your judgment and your relationship with your cousin. If you project that bitterness onto him, you will not find peace. You must accept your past and your bloodline. Accept that there are those who are far stronger than you, and that you cannot erase the truth of your own lineage."
Annierouge's eyes welled up slightly, the weight of her emotions breaking through the hard façade she had built. She held her breath, staying silent as the voice of the pillar echoed in her mind.
"Let go of your resentment, Annierouge. If you allow the past to dictate your future, you will only ruin yourself. And when that happens, we will not stand idly by."
Annierouge nodded quietly, the weight of her guilt finally catching up with her.
"I will. I swear it."
A final voice spoke.
"You should be grateful that the Seventh Goddess's son will be among the new generation of this Sentina Erideae. We may not understand our origins but he has proven himself worthy in their eyes. Let that be enough."
With that, the seven pillars began to withdraw. The light that had shone so brightly around them dimmed, fading into the unknown as the echoes of their words lingered in the air.
"Remember," the first voice, the one that had questioned Annierouge's treatment of Vastarael, said one final time, "the Seventh Goddess will always be watching. And her son will one day rise to take his rightful place."
The divine presence slowly faded into silence. Annierouge remained kneeling for a moment longer, her eyes closed, reflecting on the deep conflict she had just experienced. She stood once more, gripping her trident. As the last whisper of the pillars' presence faded, Annierouge Plenituse took a deep breath and exhaled.
"I really need to keep my emotions in check. I almost got punished for disrespecting Vastarael Richinaria. I wonder who he is that even the Sixth Goddess would respect him this much."