In a realm far off from where Hoshi Saito was reborn, a woman walked across the endless body of water. It was completely silent, beside the small splashes that her feet stepping across the land caused. The sky was painted full of stars and light, beauty that anyone who wasn't this woman could get lost in.
Her features were nearly blank, but her body was made up of entirely light and fire. Her hair fanned around her as if it had a mind of its own, and she waved her hand to create a seat to sit on. She sat, opening her palm to access her near boundless power. A globe appeared in her palm, and she watched as one starry light shone in the Kingdom of Vaelgard.
Her lips perked up into a faint smile, her first action as a person and not a force. He lightly tapped the light and watched as the globe changed into a series of images, showing Hoshi and Lyra in Barek's shop. Her voice was serene and tinted with a sense of hope as she spoke eight words.
[???]: "What will you do this time..? Hoshi Saito—"
Meanwhile, In Barek's Shop, Hoshi watched a woman enter the place where Barek left him. She introduced herself as Barek's daughter, which he could've figured out by their similar features. Even so, why had Barek's daughter come to meet him? It wasn't like he'd done anything wrong, but Hoshi waited for her to speak nonetheless.
[Hoshi]: "Barek's daughter..? Why do you wanna talk to me? Look if it's about the armor I wasn't gonna touch it—"
Lyra put a hand up which halted Hoshi's rambling, she walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Hoshi was confused at the sudden gesture but decided not to say anything, instead letting Lyra continue. The sounds outside the shop faded out as his mind began to fill in the noise with several thoughts.
[Lyra]: "I saw you earlier, when the guards caught that boy."
[Hoshi]: "Err…okay, what about it? Your dad had to bail me out from that guard, is that what this is about?"
[Lyra]: "Tell me, what were you thinking of in that moment?"
What was I thinking…
In that small time frame, Hoshi recalled a lot of things. The way that boy looked at him, the stillness of his feet as he let him get taken away, and most of all—the guilt. The fear of reliving a death in an alley, only this time it'd be in a street. Hoshi's eyes lowered, how could he have become such a coward in a short amount of time?
Meanwhile, Lyra closely examined his bleak expression and decided a breath of fresh air would help him out. He nudged Hoshi's shoulder with sudden playfulness, and grinned as she looked at his eyes snap up from his daze.
[Lyra]: "Come on—let's walk together, we can talk on the way."
Hoshi nodded and followed Lyra out the door and back into the streets of Vaelgard. The activity level outside seemed to have simmered down a tiny bit, with some merchants putting away their items likely to head home. It was a welcome change for someone like Hoshi, who preferred less noise and activity when he went out.
The two walked around for what seemed to be ages, with Lyra pointing out spots she frequently visited in the kingdom and Hoshi nodding along as she talked. However, Hoshi noticed the banners posted up every turn they took, it was the same emblem that the guards wore on their uniform.
[Hoshi]: "So, these banners, if everyone knows that this is Vaelgard then why are there so many of them?"
[Lyra]: "The banners…they represent rule. It's a reminder to everyone that The Council reigns supreme, especially since the Kingdom's been getting hit with rebel attacks."
Lyra stopped walking for a moment, and turned to look at Hoshi. Hoshi tilted his head in confusion. Lyra crossed her arms and Hoshi could see the same suspicion the guard had reflected in her eyes. It was justified, since Lyra knew nearly everyone in Vaelgard and yet Hoshi just magically appeared.
[Lyra]: "Y'know, I never asked where you're from. It's a little strange that you haven't mentioned it, and you seem clueless about everything that's going on here…"
[Hoshi]: "Uhm, I'm a foreigner—"
[Lyra]: "From where?"
Crap, I don't know the places I could be from.
Lyra tapped her foot in the ground impatiently as she waited for Hoshi's answer, her suspicion only growing with each moment of silence. Hoshi's mind scrambled for answers, and since he didn't know the locations or type of people in this world, he was coming up with blanks.
Just as Lyra was about to say something, a loud bell rang and its chime echoed through the kingdom. Both of their heads whipped to where the sound came from, and they looked at each other.
[Lyra]: "Come on, I think you should see something…"
Lyra led the way while Hoshi followed, and he could distinctly make out where they were headed by the massive bell and statue in Vaelgard. As they came closer, Hoshi could make out the details of the statue. It was a woman, who's body was made entirely of a metal similar to gold. Her hair was erratic, with pieces fanning out like a curtain of fire, but she had no pupils, and barely any features that signified she was human.
Around the statue, people clasped their hands together and began to murmur. Lyra looked at the statue with a mix of longing and something else. Together, they approached the statue and stood there, the sun seemed to highlight and make the statue glow with near-ethereal light.
This seems…familiar.
[Lyra]: "I'm assuming you don't know who this is? I'll have to make a mental note to write you down as an amnesiac…"
[Hoshi]: "Right right—who is this supposed to be?"
[Lyra]: "This is…Elythia, she's our guiding light. The being we turn to when we need prayers answered, she created everything."
Elythia, The Mother and Creator of the World, a being who represented freedom and virtue. She was the one who families begged for when they needed a savior.
[Hoshi]: "So she's like a god then? There are a lot of people praying here…"
Lyra nodded, but her focus wasn't on Hoshi. Instead, her gaze was fixed on a small family of 3, composed of an older woman and 2 young children. They were all on their knees and eyes closed shut as they murmured prayer to Elythia.
[Older Woman]: "Please…save our boy, take me instead…"
As Hoshi watched the woman's prayer, he couldn't help but feel he'd seen someone like this woman. That look in her eyes, her features, the tattered clothes and sunken look which showed her lack of nutrition. The two children next to her, all with slightly different features, but there was no mistaking it.
Hoshi felt his fingers buzz and his heart begin to pound in his chest, his stability wavered and he could feel himself losing focus as his vision continued to zone in on this family. A quick knock on his head managed to snap him out of it.
[Lyra]: "Hoshi—this is why I brought you here. Do you understand now?"
[Hoshi]: "T-That kid nabbed by the guards, stealing food, that's them isn't it…"
Lyra nodded solemnly, and let Hoshi think for a moment since she knew all too well how heavy seeing this could be. Hoshi needed to see this, to realize that family was the reason why that child did what he did. And in a way, Hoshi and him were the same, both rushing in to help people in need.
I'm…a coward.
[Lyra]: "I know seeing this is hard, but I'm doing it for a reason. I won't lie, I find you a little suspicious…but I can tell this bothers you. If you were somehow related to The Council, you wouldn't bat an eye to it."
[Hoshi]: "I-I don't understand, what are you talking about?"
[Lyra]: "Walk and talk—I think you'll understand once you see it."
Lyra took Hoshi's hand and dragged him away, but not before letting Hoshi linger and take one last at the family begging for Elythia. His fear controlled him once, but Hoshi Saito wouldn't waver. It was a miracle, that brought him to this world after he died trying to help in his old one, but that didn't mean he should cower in fear and let his life pass him by.
Images of his old life flashed by, the way the Sakura Trees bloomed in the spring, and how his mother held his hands while he stumbled and took his first steps. Hikari…she was probably mourning his death right now, blaming herself for his death.
I'll live…this new life, I'll live for you.
Hoshi let himself be dragged away, silently promising himself that he'd stay true to who he was. As Lyra reached the gate of Vaelgard, she nodded to the guard and exited the Kingdom. Meanwhile, Hoshi looked to the hill where he woke up, wondering why he'd been reborn so close to a kingdom of all places…
They walked along the muddy road, and reached an intersection where a pillar with a old rusted sword was stabbed into the ground. Lyra clasped the handle tightly and turned the sword clockwise, a small click rung across their desolation. They were quite far out from the kingdom, so Hoshi was still clueless on where he was being taken.
[Hoshi]: "You're being oddly secretive, can't you just tell me where we're going…?"
[Lyra]: "Well there's no need for that—we're already here."
The pillar suddenly began shifting from its spot and moved slowly to the side. Hoshi nearly jumped at the sudden noise, but Lyra's reassuring grip kept him grounded. A square shaped hole was revealed as the pillar moved, and a ladder reached all the way down to the bottom of the tunnel.
Lyra gestured to Hoshi to go first, and he let go of her hand reluctantly. He put his foot on the first rung and began lowering himself down, with each rung descended, Hoshi examined more and more of what was at the bottom. The floor seemed much newer and cleaner than the pillar at the top, so this tunnel was probably made within the last few years.
[???]: "Oii—! Who's there?! I'll knock the sense out of you!"
Hoshi frowned at the sound of the man's voice. He sounded no older than Hoshi, and there seemed to be no real venom behind his words as he saw a figure approach. Lyra landed next to Hoshi and pulled a rope, the ceiling closing and the pillar returning to its original spot.
[Lyra]: "Shut up Rowan…you're gonna make me sick with all that confidence."
Rowan gruffed in response and swung his sword back into his sheath. He looked at Hoshi with judgement, and broke his personal bubble by moving his face close to Hoshi. He looked at him up and down and squinted at his face. Lyra facepalmed as she looked at Hoshi's dumbfounded expression.
Is this guy serious…
[Rowan]: "And who's this supposed to be? I ain't ever seen you around Vaelgard, you a newborn or somethin'?
Lyra promptly whacked Rowan over the head and he yelped in pain. Hoshi had to hold back a fit of laughter as Lyra scolded Rowan and he held his head in pain. It was nice to see that there were some people who he could maybe call friends, but he'd have to wait and see what was waiting for him at the end of the tunnel.
[Lyra]: "Where is she Rowan?"
[Rowan]: "Over there, in the living quarters…she's been waiting for you. I have no idea how you'll tell her you brought a newbie."
[Lyra]: "I'll deal with it—come on Hoshi, this way."
The three walked toward the living quarters, and the halls were lit by the occasional torch or lamp. It smelled earthy and real down here, and Hoshi felt uneasy watching Rowan and Lyra talk about things he had no idea of. But still, he took a breath to steel his resolve, the images of that boy flashed through his mind as a reminder of why he was following Lyra.
And there she was.
A woman clad in armor, whose hair was a dark shade of red with a cape strewn across her back. Her sword was sheathed, and it exuded power in its presence. Her face looked a bit worn down, perhaps from stress or age, but Hoshi couldn't tell. Another figure emerged from the back of the quarters, a girl whose hair was neck length and a deep purple color, her clothes looked light and clean—a stark contrast to the knight beside her.
The knight spoke and Hoshi instantly had shivers run down his spine, and he could see Lyra and Rowan with a uneasy expression on their faces as well. Her voice held authority, as if she were the commander of whatever sort of group this was. Her grip tightened around the handle of her sword, and she stepped forward, her gaze was locked on Lyra.
[???]: "Lyra—who the hell is this boy?"