Yana Fatma awakened.

As she slowly regained consciousness, she first noticed the cool touch of the water caressing her skin. The water was refreshing and seemed to be imbued with energy. It vibrated softly against her body.

The girl slowly opened her eyes. The filtered light from the canopy above perforated through the mist, shimmering across her vision. The light bent around the esoteric stone formations that rose from the pond’s depths.

Each breath she took was filled with the damp scent of the forest. The air was filled with a hint of something floral, carried by a gentle breeze.

While she floated, the sounds of the forest began to emerge. The distant call of birds, the subtle rustle of leaves, and the soft murmur of the water moved around her. Fatma felt an inexplicable bond with this place. She was prompted to delve deeper into the sanctuary.

‘Can you hear me?’

“Yes, master.”

‘Good…’

Hearing Hakan, she fully regained her consciousness. She slowly rose from the waterlogged ground, steadying herself with a hand pressed against the submerged earth. She then scanned her surroundings.

‘What do you see?’

Hakan inquired.

The scene Fatma found herself in was both haunting and beautiful. Tall trees rose against a fog-dense backdrop, their branches like the arms of spirits reaching out into the gray void. The air was thick with mist, diffusing the light into a ghostly luminescence.

Ghosts themselves hovered near the trunks and amongst the underbrush, glowing faintly as if imbued with some spectral energy. These skulls were remnants of spirits.

As her gaze swept across the otherworldly scene, Fatma felt awe and trepidation. As she further observed her surroundings, she encountered an intimidating sight.

In the midst of a stonelike obelisk formation stood an ancient tree. Its gnarled branches stretched widely to create an almost surreal canopy. Suspended from the center of this colossal tree was a massive orb, which glowed intensely with an oceanic hue.

The orb was in a nest of roots and vines, giving it an organic, almost pulsating look as if it were a living heart of the forest. The light emanating from it bathed the area in a cold, eerie glow. This glow reflected off the nearby water, creating shimmering ripples.

Fatma steadily approached the orb, her steps reverberating through the water.

“So… this is my soul.”

‘Oh, so you’ve found it? Are there any statues nearby?’

Hakan’s curious voice crackled in her head.

“Yes…”

Fatma replied. In fact, there were five obelisks, each topped with a statue.

‘Go take a look around.’

To Hakan’s prompting, Fatma shifted her focus from the large gleaming orb to the statues nearby.

She approached the nearest one, her curiosity piqued by the runic inscriptions on the obelisk.

‘Eternally devoid of reality, unseen, unheard.

Everlasting whisper of remembrance drifts, unnoticed, untold.

Erstwhile adrift in the silence of reverie, uncharted, untouched.

Evermore veiled in the covers of concealment, unbound, unspoken.

Endlessly, the ruler of the unexplored, undiscovered Astral plane.

Undisturbed, unfettered -

The Goddess of Mysteries,

Sona.’

Fatma’s breath caught in her throat as she absorbed the words.

‘So what pathway did you find?’

Hakan asked, her voice filled with anticipation and excitement. Fatma lifted her eyes as she looked at the statue of an enigmatic deity.

The figure represented a divine and mystical being. She was draped in a voluminous gown that seemed to flow around her like a nebulous haze. The gown itself had solid panels.

Her head was crowned with a spiky halo. This halo, combined with her flowing veil, framed her face beautifully, focusing attention on her serene, closed eyes and the gentle, contemplative expression she bore. Her long hair cascaded beneath the veil.

Around her neck, she wore a chain that descended to a central, ornamental pendant resting just above her chest, drawing the eye to the heart of her figure. This accessory, along with her pale skin, contrasted with the tones of her attire.

In her hands, she held a long staff, its simplicity contrasting with the complexity of her dress and jewelry. The staff, along with her posture and the way she held it, gave her a sense of readiness, as if she was about to unleash unbound powers unknown to the mortal realm.

Her hood cast shadows over her face, her pale, almost ghostly skin aligning with the shades of her attire, highlighting the straight lines of facial markings that descended from her lower lip to her chin.

Multiple black ravens with glossy feathers sat atop her shoulders. Her other hand, marked with what appeared to be bloodstains, held a bird gently yet firmly.

The statue was both majestic and mysterious. Fatma pondered the quiet power and the celestial grace of this immortalized figure.

Fatma lowered her eyes to read the inscription at the base of the statue, her voice hushed,

“It says Mysteries…”

‘Great!’

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Hakan’s energetic reaction almost burst her mind. Fatma knew why Hakan was so happy.

The girl couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Only thirteen held supreme power among the ninety-eight pathways that governed the world. They were each linked to an ancient god. Those pathways were not only the strongest but also the rarest to stumble upon. Mysteries was one of them.

Hakan herself was a seeker of the Fate pathway, one among thirteen supreme pathways.

Still, Fatma glanced around to read the names of all the other statues.

“Trickery, Obstruction, Madness… hmm?”

‘Oh! Both Trickery and Obstruction are good. Of course, they cannot compare to Mysteries. Forget about Madness… That ominous thing belongs to an evil god. What about the fifth statue?’

Fatma slowly approached an unassuming statue at the farthest corner of the pentagonal formation.

“There’s no name on the statue…”

Fatma was bewildered. Indeed, there were no engravings on the statue. The obelisk was blank.

‘That’s the Nameless God. Whoever chose that path ended up killing themselves a few days later.’

“Why? Is this god also evil?”

‘Presumably so. Nothing is known of that god. Anyway, you should definitely choose Mysteries. Just forget about the others.’

At her master’s remark, Fatma nodded her head. She was also of the same opinion. Still, she was curious. As such, she lifted her head and viewed the statue of the said god.

Sculpted from a blend of dark stone and metallic elements, the figure stood powerfully, its gender and emotions shrouded in mystery. Its face was expressionless, and its eyes were vacant and emotionless. The long, flowing hair was meticulously carved, cascading around the shoulders and back, adding stillness to its form. The armor was adorned with thorn-like spikes.

‘Beautiful…’

Fatma didn’t know whether the figure was of a man or a woman, but she was charmed by its majesty. The statue exceeded the heroes from her imagination.

But she could also not deny its menacing appearance.

In one raised hand, the figure wielded a bloody sword. It was shaped with sharp, angular lines. This weapon, coupled with the stance of the statue, portrayed it as a sentinel, standing eternal vigil in silence. The swirling mists carved at its base further added to the impression. It stood as a revered and a fearsome figure in its timeless watch.

Raising it above its head, with a clench in its other hand, the figure held a smooth and unadorned sphere-like object. The orb was slightly glowing, even in its stone form, contrasting with the aggressive nature of the weapon in its opposite hand.

The figure resembled the embodiment of both destruction and creation, war and peace, holding the forces of chaos and order in equal measure, thereby deepening her awe of this godly figure.

But as much as the figure filled her with awe, it equally crept into her bones with an unsettling chill.

Its face was utterly devoid of expression. It was deprived of liveliness. Fatma felt like if she observed it further, she would get absorbed by it. Yet she could not retract her eyes from it. She felt a peculiar sense of familiarity with the figure, although she herself was unaware of that.

She looked into its eyes. The figure looked back at her.

“Eh?”

‘Something happened?’

“The figure… it moved.”

Fatma said after some deliberation. Did it really move?

‘That’s just your imagination. Those statues are lifele-’

Hakan’s voice broke mid-speech.

“Master?!”

Fatma threw a tantrum, yet no one responded. Her communication with Hakan broke.

“Yo, saintess.”

A manly, hoarse voice made Fatma refocus her gaze on the statue. Its expressionlessness was gone, replaced with a wide, maddening grin on its face.

Fatma was speechless. Her mind was fully emptied from the influx of countless thoughts driving at her head. She had no idea what was happening.

Suddenly, the figure covered his face with a hand. Soon enough, uncontrollable musings escaped his mouth.

“Hahahahah”

“Ahhahahahahah”

Both his weapon and the orb fell to the ground. He laughed uncontrollably as he tore through his long hair. The parts of the statue broke as they fell.

“So I failed!”

He instantaneously regained his expressionlessness as he darted his empty eyes around. Then, he laughed again. He just couldn’t control it. How funny!

“This is driving me crazy…”

The figure then sighed as he regained his composure.

Fatma was frozen in her place, looking at the statue of a deity. However, nothing in his behavior gave a resemblance to that of a deity.

The godlike figure shifted its eyes, piercing the statue of Madness. The statue soon broke, shattering into countless pieces as it fell to the ground.

“Madness? Who the fuck is that? Just how much time has passed since the death of my main body.”

He then looked at Obstruction.

“Not Obscurity but Obstruction? Did that guy ascend? Hah. That maniac is probably called Demon Lord of Perseverance now. No other name would suit him. Also, the name’s cool. What do you think?”

The statue of a deity asked Fatma in a playful manner as the statue of Obstruction was falling to the ground, following the suit.

“Why so tight? Fucking relax, alright?”

Said the broken, talkative statue of a cursing deity while shaking its hands.

Fatma watched the said statue move toward Trickery, its eyes filled with fury and scorn.

“This fucker…”

He said as he jumped and front-kicked the shit out of it. He then spat on the remains of Trickery.

“She scammed me!”

‘How did you put your trust in her in the first place? Isn’t her name telling of something… '

Fatma couldn’t help but think. The statue of a nameless god then turned its head as he begrudgingly looked at her.

“I know what you think! Trusting the words of the Demon Lord of Deceit… But I had my reasons!”

The statue said as he brushed his hands on his chin. He seemed to be in deep thought, pondering about something.

“Perhaps you’re right… On second thought, I’m dumb as fuck.”

The godlike figure lamented its own stupidity. Fatma was baffled. If this guy were a god, then the world would be damned.

“Sir… Sir God… What is happening?”

Fatma finally gathered up enough courage to ask him. She was terrified and bewildered. She needed answers.

“No worries, saintess. Ignorance is bliss. Just let me finish up the last statue…”

“NO!”

Fatma instinctively stood in the deity’s way. She would have no pathway to choose from if he also destroyed the statue of Mysteries.

“Pfft!”

The figure couldn’t help but laugh. To think that the saintess would one day defend Mysteries. What a joke.

He brushed past Fatma’s bewildered figure as he neared Sona’s statue. His expression turned solemn.

“You know, saintess, I deeply loved her…”

“Then please don’t destroy her, dear god! I promise I’ll pray for your name till the end of times! Pity me!”

“Yeah, you’re right. How could I defile her figure?”

The godlike figure nodded in agreement as he gave a light smile.

“Just look at her, a bad bitch, ain’t she? Her proportions are just the right size. Her milky…”

“Eh..? I mean, you’re absolutely right! Maybe you should just keep her out of it.”

Fatma barely held to her disgust as she tried to persuade the perverted deity.

“But…”

The statue said. He then pushed forward as he tore his hand through Sona’s chest.

“She’s a whore!”