I was left speechless as I bore witness to the grandiose castle of the spirit king. Spirits, pixies, and fairies flew about in the air around the palace, giving it a fantastical vibe. The magnificent building was surrounded by marvelous elder trees and a beautiful lake to the west. A cliff in the distance sparkled with mist and a stunning waterfall. A stream flowed from the falls to the lake. "It's gorgeous," I muttered softly at the incredible sight. I was utterly enchanted by the scene.

We moved from the edge of the forest to the gate of the castle. Two guards stood on alert, despite there being no line or visitors besides us. "Welcome back, Lady Kotoha; how's the outside world? His Majesty requested that you both be led straight to the throne room as soon as you returned. My apologies if you had hoped to rest."

I see. I wonder why she never told me her name. I pondered as Kotoha responded. "The outside world is about as rife with conflict as usual; on the bright side, there are some good humans, though. Our lady was being led to the safety of Mina by the Silver Owls; we may be able to count on them as mediators in the future," She then turned to me. "Do your best to maintain a connection with that party, my lady. That connection will benefit you," I nodded in response but kept my mouth shut. I figured it was obvious that I would be staying in their care for an extended period, at least. I was a member of their party after all. Kotoha then continued after turning back toward the guard. "Thank you for the heads up about the schedule; we will head right in then."

As we moved through the ornately decorated halls of the castle, I admired the art, which told stories of history long since forgotten. Many of them are now considered naught but legends in the modern age. There was one that spoke of the dark age of the gods, where a demon lord became a god slayer and was only slain by the passage of time. Another spoke of the era of heroes, where thousands achieved legendary feats. The very topography of the planet today is very different from how it used to look back then.

As we neared the throne room, I noted that the stories appeared to loop, with very slight variations. Is this the true history of this world? It is as though the world is run by an eternal cycle of endless tragedy. A different cause, a different name, but the same result and threats. Why is this world like this? I feel a hand on my shoulder and jump, spooked by the surprise contact. "Are you okay, my lady?" It was Kotoha; she must have been concerned by my sudden pause as I looked at the tapestry's stories. "Yeah, sorry for stopping out of nowhere like that. These stories are heavy, so I got lost in thought there. I'm ok; let's keep moving."

Just before the doors, what seemed like recent events—the war with Eldraz, the fall of Runelia, the escape of its second princess, me—were portrayed on the walls. The walls seemed to inch and shift as each historical event passed until this very second. No, in fact, they were. My mind raced at the implications of this hall telling the story of this very universe. It was no wonder it felt especially long. I turned to glance at Kotoha, whose gaze I felt on my back as I uttered a small gasp.

This is unreal; that thought crossed my mind as I noted the most recent change in the tapestry portraying me standing before the throne room. I twirl around to check all over, and all I see is me, as though looking into a mirror. "Wha-?" I tried to voice my thoughts but was left speechless. A magic text began to scroll across the walls, saying, Welcome back, mistress. Then, before I could even wonder who it might be referring to, a deep voice resonated from behind me.

"Welcome to the Hall of History, Lady Runelia. This hall portrays the past and present and stands as the most accurate recording of history since its creation by our originators and your progenitor, the Goddess of History and Knowledge, Historia, and her sister, the Goddess of Creation and Death, Izunami. Please come right in and let's have a good, long chat. Kotoha, please follow and take your position behind your charge," A deep man's voice rumbled from behind us, making me flinch in surprise. As I spun around to look, I spotted the man, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kotoha kneel.

"You must be the Spirit King. Thank you for your invitation and request for a meeting." I spoke with regal air, as my position called for it out of habit. "Pardon my intrepid request, but I am interested in learning more about this hall and the stories etched within it at my leisure in the future; would that be alright with you, sir?"

The Spirit King was a muscular man with a warm yet authoritative smile, not unlike a stern father figure. He nodded and answered. "I am indeed the Spirit King; we will discuss your request in our meeting. Please call me Orpheus." He gestured for us to follow as he strolled into his throne room. I took a seat on a lavish couch, opposite the king of the spirits, with Kotoha taking position, like a servant or bodyguard to my back and right.

"The threads of fate are an intricate web, Lady Runelia. You could say that the past, present, and future dance an elegant waltz. One that only those with a truly unique perspective can appreciate. But I digress; let us not stray further from our initial intentions," The spirit king spoke with an odd emphasis on his words, though his intent left me with more questions than answers, so I let it go.

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Orpheus spoke again. his voice, seeming to make the walls of the room come to life with a slideshow of everything that has happened since my birth 16 years ago. "There is much to discuss. For example, your unusual birth. Your abnormal connection with the dryads, nature spirits, and naiads, and there are your intentions going forward," He moved his arms around us as though to indicate something more. "Furthermore, there is the plot that led to the downfall of Runelia, leaving it in ruins at the hands of the Eldraz Empire. Then, we will discuss further. There is a quest I have for you once you reach Mina as well; of course, there is much more I wish to ask, though I hesitate to voice them," With that, he rested back and watched me with a wary gaze.

I don't really mind discussing all this, but I am not sure I can accept a quest or understand what he meant by my intentions. My confusion must have shown on my face, as Orpheus seems to be studying expression. It might be a good idea to try to keep my emotions off my face. I was never good at that though...

***

As Izuna thought over her answers, I sat in contemplation, pondering over what may be happening. However, though I am Orpheus, the spirit king, I am far from the top of the hierarchy in this dimension. There are beings far beyond anyone's comprehension out there, even on this planet. One of them sits before me, seemingly having lost all her memories, but due to her nature, I fear speaking out and asking. I'll ask Kotoha her opinion. What do you think we should do? She doesn't remember anything of her true form, and with her nature, I fear poking the bear may end badly. He spoke via telepathy.

Kotoha's gaze sharpens as she glances at Izuna, then back at me. Is she that scary? The contrast between what you've described to what we see now makes it hard to see them as the same person. Her gaze flicked to the walls portraying Izuna's childhood. It showed her debut in noble society and her interactions with foreign noble children. Izuna was blushing as she asked the youngest high-elf princess to dance. I think whatever her intentions are now, they have nothing to do with the current state of the world and are more personal. That was the gaze of a maiden in love. I don't see any reason to fear her unless she suddenly gained the ability to be discreet in the last 16 years. Kotoha finished by glancing back at Izuna.

There is no way that you understand what makes her so terrifying, Kotoha. She has always done her own thing, never stopping to question if she is inconveniencing anyone with her experiments. She created everything that exists during an experiment with her sister. This woman is bloody terrifying because she will create a thing and kill it off just because she doesn't care for it anymore. Even the gods avoid interacting with her if they can help it. The spirit king launched back, letting his fear show in his tone.

Kotoha rolled her eyes and countered. So, you say, but how much of that is pure misunderstanding? She broke down and sobbed into my arms on the way here. That's why we were late. She seems terrified of being alone, and it can't have been easy to prepare a mortal vessel. She had to be driven to this point after being isolated for billions of millennia. I wouldn't exactly blame her for being a little unstable in that kind of situation. The gods are sentient beings too; they have sentient needs and natures like us and any other mortal. You would go mad in desperation to have company that sticks around for more than a day every 10,000 years, wouldn't you?

I suppose you would be correct about that. Still, in her true form, all she must do is will something to happen, and it does. Life, death, creation, destruction—it doesn't matter. She can cause anything to happen and break or bend the laws of nature, existence, and any rule that might exist. She literally exists beyond the natural order as the creator of everything. That, paired with her unpredictability, is horrifying. The spirit king responded.

Sure, I get that she has the potential to be scary, but just because she has the potential to do something doesn't mean she will. Everyone has the potential to be a monster in humanoid form. But that doesn't mean we should fear everyone around us. I was completely ready to half-ass my job when I was first given it because I was told to guard a vampire. I was wrong to think that way. Besides, consider the amount of work she puts in just to have this one chance at a real social life. I can't even imagine the effort and number of seals needed to lock away a primordial goddess in mortal form. Sure, it was irrational, but I understand the logic behind it. Don't let your fear speak for you, Orpheus. Kotoha followed back, pressing her point.

I concede the point, alright. I exhaled slowly to breathe out the tension that had built up. I turn my focus on Izuna, and notice that she's shivering and sweating as though in fear of something, and finally realize that my expression has gotten grim and dark and never left her face.

Nice going, Jackass. Think before you glare at a socially anxious girl like that. She's obviously terrified of you now. Kotoha's mocking quip drove a metaphorical stake through my heart.

"S-s-so-sorru...er, sorry, I don't know what I did, b-but please forgive me!" Izuna squeaked, her face paler than the moon, as she sat there in a petrified state.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you. We can continue this discussion later; for now, let's take a break and wind down," I requested, for my own sake rather than hers. So that I may gather my thoughts and calm down. "Feel free to use the castle's bath and get tea or whatever else you need. Kotoha will do her best to aid you, Lady Runelia."