Crystal stood before the statue, her eyes traveling slowly across every carved detail. The figure depicted a woman, and not just any woman, but one rendered with such artistry that it commanded attention.
The woman wore greenish-white cloth that draped elegantly across her stone form. The fabric seemed to flow despite being solid stone, suggesting movement frozen in time. A ribbon adorned her hair, tied in a way that was both simple and refined, holding back long strands that cascaded down her back.
In her hand was a sword.
Not a katana like the northern statue held, but a straight blade of a different style. The weapon was positioned casually, held with the easy confidence of someone who'd carried such a thing for so long it had become an extension of their body rather than a separate tool.
Crystal looked at the woman and drew in a cold breath. She stood there, simply staring, processing what she was seeing.
Crystal had seen many statues in her life. After all, she had been the Queen of Asterion, one of the most well-known and powerful kingdoms on the Sky Star Continent. In her position, she'd walked through countless halls decorated with monuments to immortals and legendary figures. Statues commemorating people who'd done the impossible, who'd ascended beyond mortal limitations, who'd shaped history through acts of incredible power or wisdom.
She herself had a statue erected in her honor after the countless years of war she'd fought. After the campaigns she'd led, the kingdoms she'd conquered, the impossible victories she'd achieved. She had been a legend in the Kingdom of Asterion, the eldest daughter of the Asura Clan, respected and feared in equal measure.
On the battlefield, she'd been known as the Queen of Death. No one had been able to stop her. In war, she had outmaneuvered and outsmarted everyone who'd opposed her. Generals with decades of experience had fallen to her strategies. Cultivators more powerful than her had died to her tactics.
Calling herself smart now just felt like an insult, though.
Your husband killed your family, she thought bitterly. And all the while you were conquering, they were trying to survive. You were so focused on making Noah happy, on proving your worth to him, that you never saw what was happening right under your nose.
Crystal snapped out of it, physically shaking her head to clear the self-recrimination. Getting lost in those thoughts helped nothing. She forced herself to focus back on the statue in front of her.
The aura the woman was giving off was impressive. Power radiated from the stone figure in waves Crystal could almost feel. But even that paled in comparison to the aura emanating from the thing beside her.
That's right. There was a giant serpent.
The creature was positioned directly behind the woman statue, its massive body coiled in complex patterns. Looking closer, Crystal realized it wasn't just positioned near the woman. The relationship between them was clear from how they were carved. The serpent was her companion, possibly even her pet, though calling something that enormous a pet seemed almost insulting to the creature.
Crystal examined the serpent more carefully. Like everything else in this place, it was carved from stone. But she could somehow tell what colors it would have been in life. Which was strange, because she existed in a world of red. Everything around her was stained crimson by the blood ocean and the massive moon overhead. Yet when she looked at the statues, she could perceive their true colors somehow, as if her mind was supplying information her eyes couldn't actually see.
The woman statue held one hand out, gripping a katana with casual strength. Her other hand was positioned at her side, appearing to pat or rest against the serpent's scaled body. The gesture was affectionate, intimate, suggesting a bond between woman and creature that went beyond master and servant.
Behind the woman, just like behind the northern statue, was an aureole. This one had a greenish tint to it, at least in Crystal's perception. The circular formation seemed to glow with soft power, a gentle radiance that contrasted with the more aggressive energy of the northern statue's lightning-wreathed halo.
Crystal's gaze returned to the woman's face, and she found herself drawing in another sharp breath.
The face was beautiful. Not just attractive, but beautiful in a way that transcended normal aesthetics. A goddess sculptured to perfection, every line and curve exactly as it should be. The expression was serene but not empty, suggesting vast depths of thought and emotion held in perfect balance.
As Crystal studied the face more closely, a strange sensation crept over her. She thought she'd seen a face somewhat like this before. Not identical, but similar enough to trigger recognition. The bone structure, the set of the eyes, something about the overall composition felt familiar.
But she couldn't remember where she'd seen it. The memory was there, hovering just out of reach, refusing to solidify into something concrete. The more she tried to grasp it, the more it slipped away, like trying to remember a dream after waking.
Crystal looked at the statue for a while longer, letting her eyes roam across every detail she could see. The flowing robes, the ribbon in the hair, the hand resting on the serpent's scales, the sword held with easy confidence. All of it had been rendered with masterful skill.
She felt the same connection here as she had with the northern statue. That sense of calling, of recognition, of something fundamental resonating between her and the stone figure. But there was a difference in quality. Where the northern statue had felt like encountering someone from her past, this felt more personal somehow. More intimate.
Crystal thought about the statues she'd seen in her life, about all the immortal figures she'd encountered in artwork and monument. She had never seen an immortal statue quite like this before. The craftsmanship was beyond anything in the Kingdom of Asterion, beyond anything she'd encountered in her travels and conquests.
Whoever had created these figures possessed skill that bordered on divine.
After a while, feeling compelled by that same instinct that had driven her to touch the northern statue, Crystal raised her hand. She extended it slowly toward the woman's stone form, her fingers trembling slightly with anticipation.
As her hand drew nearer, the connection grew stronger.
It wasn't sudden or jarring. Instead, it built gradually, increasing in intensity with each inch her hand traveled. The sensation was like approaching a fire, feeling the heat increase as you got closer to the flames. But instead of warmth, this was recognition. Understanding. A sense of meeting something that was somehow part of herself.
The closer she got, the stronger the feeling became. It built and built, resonating in her chest, in her bones, in the very core of her being.
Crystal's hand continued its approach, moving steadily despite her trembling. The connection was almost overwhelming now, so strong she could barely think about anything else.
Finally, her fingertips made contact with the statue's surface.
And something happened.