I’m thrown onto hard ground, landing harshly in a vast space. Nothing but barren land stretches before me. Nothing but darkness in the sky, and a large crater sitting just a few feet ahead. I crawl to the hole on my hands and knees, peering over the edge. In the centre, right at the bottom, lies a girl around my age. Her hair lies around her like liquid silver, her skin’s pale, and she’s dressed in a black and red gown. She’s lying on her side, and I can’t tell if she’s asleep or dead. Beside her, another girl lies, her hair is bright white, her skin a pale ivory with a slight golden hue.
“Elyistria?” I gasp, recognising her soft face, her ethereal features, and her bright white hair. She looks so young, so delicate. Both of their eyes crack open as they lie facing each other, recognition flitting over their features as they stare at one another. Was that Elyistria’s sister? She hadn’t mentioned having a sister when we met. Her words suddenly echo through my head:
“I apologise for who I was before.”
“I will not fail you again.”
I’m suddenly falling again,another image of Elyistria and the stranger she was lying next to, trying to flit by. I reach out as before, my body once again sucked into the image before me. I land in a field, surrounded by the wild blooms I instantly recognise from Zeriavoss. But this isn’t the kingdom I know. The red lightning streaks the sky, the flowers bloom, but nothing else is here other than the two women standing just before me.
I rise to my feet, watching them as they talk. I strain my ears, but I can’t hear them. It feels like I’m trapped in a soundless bubble, destined to watch but not listen. The woman I don’trecognise raises her palms, and I watch as the familiar obsidian castle forms from nothing, rising from the ground to sit upon the piece of land that juts out of the mountains. The kingdom forms before my eyes. Then, Cinderspine, The Realm of Children, The Welcome Circle, Gehenna. Each and every part of Hell is sculpted like clay, brought to life by her hands. I was watching my home, my kingdom, be formed by the silver-haired woman with eyes as black as Korithax’s.
I continue to watch as Elyistria raises her hands. Creatures rise from her palm, flamebeasts forming from glowing threads of light. They roar and fly, flames crackling across the sky as the other woman laughs beside her, awe filling their eyes. I realise I’m watching the very act of creation.
I take a step forward and fall straight through the flowers, back into the dark abyss, as more and more images fly past me. I see images of the two girls growing, creating realm after realm with just their hands. The silver-haired woman seems to create the worlds by hand, whilst Elyistria seems to create magic and life with hers. Creatures, humans, everything to ever exist, all coming from their very palms. I knew Elyistria was a goddess, and I knew she had magic. But I didn’t know she had a hand in creating everything in existence. But I thought the Divine Six?—
I’m pulled straight into another vision. I land on my feet, stumbling forward into a place I instantly recognise as the Six’s realm. My body shudders in response, remembering how it had felt the last time I was here.
I look around the room, noticing the thrones they sit on aren’t here. Nothing’s here, apart from Elyistria and the silver-haired girl. This doesn’t make any sense. I had been told the Six were the original creators. That everything that existed was due to them. But I’d just watched these two girls create realm after realm. Everything that had existed since the dawn of time hadcome from their hands. Which meant the Divine Six’s version of history was a lie.
My head starts spinning with too many thoughts.
I stay standing at the far side of the room, watching with utter disbelief as one by one, each member of the Divine Six is formed. Voices suddenly sound around me, letting me finally hear for the first time since falling into these strange visions.
“You are to be known as the Divine Six,” Elyistria says.
“You will help us with the realms and ensure they all run smoothly.” The other woman continues.
“I am Elyistria. Goddess of Magic. Ruler of Luminaria. And this is my sister.” She gestures to the silver-haired girl.
“I am Dasmyrin. Goddess of Creation. Queen of Hell.”
I gasp. It was her. The first Queen of Hell, the one the whispers claim the Divine Six killed.
“We give you each a power, each a responsibility which will help us protect what we have created.” Dasmyrin continues.
Elyistria steps forward, placing her hands on the forehead of the one I recognise as Seraphiel. “You are the voice of judgement. You have the power to pass judgement on any being.”
She moves onto Amarithe, once again placing her hands on her forehead. “You are the bloom of light. A manipulator of perception.”
I frown. Why would they need someone who can manipulate perception?
She places her hands on Velentha next. “The oracle of time. You can see all possible futures.”
Velentha gasps as the magic is transferred into her, and her eyes dart to Dasmyrin, tears swimming in her eyes. But she doesn’t speak.
Elyistria continues on to Calrix. “The spear of order. The master of divine warfare, the protector of realms.”
He growls in response, his sword gleaming with fire.
She places her hands on Elaron, and Velentha lets out a small sob. I frown at her response, but Elyistria ignores her, continuing on.
“The whispering star. The manipulator of thought, memory, and dreams.”
She moves on to the last of the Divine Six. Mal’Thariel. The one who I was told was the creator of everything we know.
“The architect.” She whispers. “The one who will help structure and control the laws of the realms and its fates.”
So, he helped with the laws. He didn’t create shit. I feel anger rising in me as I stare at the pretentious assholes standing ahead of me. They lied. They had lied to everyone, erased history, and had it rewritten to make themselves appear as almighty gods. But why hadn’t Elyistria corrected the lies? Why had she sat back and let them continue on to rule as they were, knowing her and her sister were the creators? It didn’t make any sense.
