Walking through the Hall of the Lightsworn…

Ethereal radiance shimmers from ornate chandeliers high above a luxurious expanse of antique furnishings, promising nothing less than the best of mortal comforts. Ornate mirrors decorate the walls from top to bottom, warping the boundaries of space within their crystal-clear frames.

Returning to this place once again feels… surreal. The mirrors make this place feel like I’m standing within an illusion of infinite space, where reality and enchantment become one. Oh, and my head’s feeling a little giddy. Just a little…

Good grief. It’s just… it’s all so… dazzling! So damn pretty! Bit too much for me, honestly. Or maybe it’s my nerves acting up again, thinking about meeting the Oracle, Lady Nhaka Mezalune, for the second time. I mean, I really do wonder how she’ll react to seeing me like this, seeing the extent to which I’ve mastered the Healer’s sacred art. Hopefully, Rinnah willing, she’ll be happy to see me!

But we’re also meeting Lady Mezalune for something far more important – helping Eris retrieve her lost memories. This task, this burden… weighs heavily on Anna’s mind like the weight of the world as she walks quietly alongside me through this chamber of mirrors, her heart burning with resolve. I may be the Hero, but I’m just tagging along for this task.

Eris is here as well. She’s our tour guide, after all! But this is gonna be the last part of the grand tour we’ve embarked on together since the docks of Sharmarli. She’s not following us in – it’s a private meeting, after all. Just me and Anna and the Oracle. But we’ll convey her wishes to Lady Mezalune all the same.

Heh. Don’t mind me. Just feeling a little nervous, is all. I still get stage fright from time to time. It’s not too serious, though. But it is what it is.

“Ah, here we are. Behind these doors, Lady Nhaka is expecting the two of you,” Eris tells us, her tone cordial and polite to a fault as we stand before the great jewelled doors leading into the throne room. “And umm…”

“We’ll get your memories back from Miss Mezalune,” Anna answers steadfastly as she nods solemnly, her expression grim yet focused. “I promise we will.”

“Yeah, we will,” I add coolly. “We got this.”

“I’ll be in my room waiting for the both of you. It’s the suite down the hallway, two floors down from here. I’ll wait there, I’ll, ah… I’ll be patient.”

“Please stay strong for us,” Anna says as she places her hands firmly on Eris’ shoulders, gazing resolutely into her eyes. “We’ll see you soon. I promise.”

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“I will. I… I’ll try. Ah. Good luck in there.”

Slowly, Eris turns on her heel and leaves us. Even so, she looks back constantly towards us, her eyes filled with worry. For now, Anna and I can do nothing more than watch on as she walks out of view.

When that's done, we approach those jewelled doors. The Sacred Shield guardsmen guarding them let us through, and we make our way forward. Towards the Oracle, towards my Prophecy, towards the forbidden memories of the Bard once fated to die at our hands as the Demon’s Voice, one timeline ago.

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An audience with the Oracle, Lady Nhaka Mezalune…

Petite like a child, sitting pretty on a white-gold throne a bit too big for her, robed servants and Sacred Shield guards standing by, the deep purple of the Oracle’s eyes light up with joy as Anna and I walk in. Even from so far away, her mere presence radiates an otherworldly aura, so much Mana and magic that it’s a bit overwhelming for me.

She looks exactly as I remember her: dressed in a cream and gold-trimmed strapless dress, fancy sleeves shimmering lightly like stars in the night sky, and jewelled slippers adorned with amethysts and diamonds on her little feet. Her pink hair falls around her shoulders like freshly spun candy floss, lavishly adorned with enchanted jewellery. It’s pretty fancy stuff!

Yes, indeed – that’s her! Lady Nhaka Mezalune, the Oracle of Sharmarli. She who was ancient when the world was young. Even if admittedly, she looks a little… well, yeah. Y’know! As with many things, looks can be very deceiving.

But make no mistake, Lady Mezalune’s a Conjurer unlike any other. She’s the one who summoned me here, after all! That’s quite the feat, I’ll say! After everything in Arcadia… and everything after that… I’m glad to see her again, timelines be damned.

I remember my first meeting with her. Upon seeing Anna and me, she ran down the marble steps of her holy throne, two at a time, bounding energetically towards us like a child jumping right into their parents’ arms. And then she hugged me! I was a bit freaked out, I’ll admit. But eventually, her eccentric demeanour grew on me. She’s wise and kind like Lady Iris… in her own little way.

“Hi there! My oh my, you’re a tall one, aren’t you!? Or maybe it’s the work of those pretty, pretty heels of Little Miss Alyssa’s that you’ve inherited! Lucky, lucky you!”

This time, oddly enough, Lady Mezalune’s not running down the steps of her holy throne. Instead, she descends them slowly, robed servants and Sacred Shield flanking her. And their eyes are all on me. Only me.

“Heels or no heels… you’ve come a long way to be here, my summoned Hero! Literally and figuratively! Half-blind, I’ve pierced the veil across many worlds to search for one like you. And now, finally… you stand before me! Again, perhaps?”

“It’s good to see you too, Lady Mezalune,” I answer with a smile. “And yeah. Again.”

“Indeed, indeed! Little Miss Iris told me about your situation. It’s most intriguing! And perhaps… a reason why things are the way they are, even as we speak.”

Nodding enthusiastically, Lady Mezalune smiles eagerly, revealing the pearly whites of her shark-like, jagged teeth. It’s quite a sight to behold.

“Oh, and Little Miss Anna Silverlight! Welcome, welcome!”

“Miss Mezalune…”

“You have something burning in your heart that wish to ask of me, don’t you!?” Lady Mezalune offers coyly as she looks at Anna’s frown. “If so, let’s hear it! Because Rinnah willing, what you and I want may very well be one and the same!”