Sera slowly awakened, her eyes blinking open to the soft golden light filtering through her bedroom window. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the room. She furrowed her brow, her slow, waking mind grasped at recent memories as she wondered how she had ended up in her bed. Her last memory was of the Great Chamber, the crystal-capped column, and the runes that had come alive at her touch.

Flashes of combat against frightening creatures played out in her head as she looked down over her tattered, blood-stained dress. She remembered the Chimeras’ tentacles wrapped around her, the fear and the desperation as she struggled to defend herself. She recalled the shudder of death as her blade bit into their flesh, and the frantic relief that followed.

Slowly, as the foggy nature of sleep retreated, she remembered it all. Faster than she had time to realize, the events of the latter part of that day placed themselves neatly in order within her mind; the Heavenfall ruins, Damien and his journal, Cabrin and Akane, the Chimera, the Great Chamber, and lastly, the crystal-capped column.

She winced as she got out of her bed and began removing her ruined clothing. Her entire body was sore, especially her chest which sent waves of pain though her with every breath. As she dressed into fresh clothes, she remembered the feeling of ancient knowledge filling her when she had touched that crystal. Her mind grasped at the torrent of information that she had been given, but all she could tangibly understand was the strange dream that followed.

A muffled cheer sounded from below her, shaking her from her thoughts. The tavern was already serving the night’s patrons. Sera sat heavily on her bed, a strange sense of relief filling her as she remembered her father’s demands for her day off. She wondered again, how she had gotten there. She wondered what happened to Cabrin and Akane after she blacked out. A moment or two passed before she concluded that her new friends must have brought her back. Her father was likely worried sick. She winced at the thought, as well as the pain as she stood and went out her door.

Curiosity piqued as she carefully made her way down the stairs, she heard voices in the office below, neither of them were that of her father. Stepping down the last steps, Sera was only somewhat surprised to see Cabrin and Akane waiting for her.

“Oi! Sera-san!” Akane called, seated on the small chair near her father’s desk, a large mug of ale in hand. “This stuff is pretty good! How was your nap, by the way?”

Cabrin walked over and placed his hand on Sera’s shoulder, she only winced a little bit. “How are you feeling?” He asked her.

“I’m fine.” She offered a stunted laugh as he concerningly retracted his hand from her pained shoulder. “Just a little sore, is all.”

“We tried to pull you away from that thing, but you had already passed out by the time we got to you.” He explained.

“Hai.” Akane confirmed. “You had us pretty worried when you didn’t wake up.”

“You brought me here?” Sera asked them.

As Cabrin nodded, Sera heard the door to the tavern open behind her.

“Sera!” Simon rushed to embrace his daughter who groaned as he hugged her.

He issued an apology, realizing how tender her body was in that moment before continuing. “Your uh…friends told me what happened. What were you thinking? I told you to take the day off, that didn’t mean for you to go gallivanting into Heavenfall!”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Sera said. “I just…needed to see…”

“I know.” He said, holding her, gingerly this time. “I just never expected you to do something so…dangerous.”

“I’m sorry.” She said again.

“So…” He sighed. “Did you find it? Where you came from.”

“No, but…” Sera started thoughtfully. “I found something else.”

“That strange stone.” Simon concluded with a stern look on his face, nodding toward Cabrin. “He told me.”

“Not just that.” His daughter went on to explain. “It showed me…something.”

This got Cabrin’s interest. Akane pulled a rush of air into her beer mug as she sipped, gazing wide-eyed at Sera through the frothy glass.

“Showed you?” Cabrin pressed. “What did you see?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“I’m not sure.” Sera said. “It was like…a dream.”

Sera detailed the events of her dream, the room was quiet as she spoke. She recounted how she had seen the first of the liberated ancestors. She told of the flesh farm where they had been kept, full of the corpses of the Chimera that Celeste had destroyed there.

“Celeste.” Cabrin whispered, reverently.

“I have to go back.” Sera said. “That’s all I was able to make sense of, but there was more. I need to understand what it showed me.”

Cabrin shook his head. Sera furrowed her brows, unsure of the meaning of his response.

“That crystal.” He explained. “When you passed out, the crystal shattered. There’s no using it anymore.”

All Sera wanted was answers to her past, but what she had been shown and could not understand had arrested her curiosity even more, now. Despite everything in her that yearned to return to her old, blissfully ignorant life, Sera was disappointed to know that she couldn’t learn more.

“Did you see her?” Akane asked excitedly. “Did you see Celeste?”

“That’s the strangest part.” Sera answered, looking down at the floor. She could already guess the reaction she would follow what she was about to say and the implication that it would carry. “In the dream, I think I was Celeste.”

“That was no dream.” Cabrin said, breaking the silence that followed. “It was a memory.”

The tense atmosphere that had been building up in the room was released when a knock sounded from the doorway leading to the tavern’s kitchen. All four of the office’s occupants looked over at the blushing face of Sera’s friend, Chelsie who had peeked in to get Simon’s attention.

“Sorry.” The girl apologized. “Simon, we’re out of salt. Do you have any more somewhere?”

“Cellar, stairs, third sack on the right.” Simon answered curtly.

The girl thanked him, apologized again, and disappeared. Sera gave her father a confused look.

“The girls are running things while I tend to matters here.” He said, answering her silent question. “Now about this dream. You’re not really saying what I think you are, are you?”

“Oi, Jijii.” Akane spoke in a frustrated tone. “Haven’t you been paying attention? What have we been saying this whole time?”

“I know.” Simon exasperated. “I know, it's just…”

The large man turned from them, putting his face in his hand.

Sera’s lip quivered as she watched her father bearing silent grief. She could only guess what he was thinking and feeling. Adopted or not, she was every bit his daughter. He just couldn’t accept all of this.

“What will you do with her?” Simon asked after a while. He didn’t turn back around to face them.

“Bastion.” Akane said.

Cabrin nodded in agreement. “She should be taken to the College. Those fanatics, as you called them, have devoted themselves to the study of this exact matter. They will know what to do.”

“So that’s it, then?” Simon spun around, there were tears running down his cheeks. “You’re just gonna whisk my little girl away? Just like that?”

“It’s not up to me.” Cabrin said calmly.

“Well, then I don’t approve!” The large man declared.

“It’s not up to you, either.” Akane pointed out.

Four pairs of eyes were fixed upon Sera as the decision was held out before her, and she felt their weight. The life that she once had, the memory of which she still clung to had slipped away from her. No, it had been taken away from her. Now she had to choose. Would she struggle to maintain the last shreds of normalcy that she had left? Or would she go with these rangers to Bastion where she would be expected to somehow save the world from a mythical evil? Away from everything and everyone she ever knew and loved.

Sera crossed her arms over her sore chest, her eyes closed as she wrestled with the conflict of interests that she held in her heart.

Out in the tavern, the muffled voices of the patrons were silenced at the sound of someone shouting from the door.

“What in the hell is going on, now?” Simon grumbled as people could be heard rushing out of the building. The office door flew open as Chelsie and another of the barmaids rushed inside.

“Simon!” Chelsie exclaimed. “Come, quick! Something’s going on outside!”

A gruffly perplexed Simon went out the door followed by Sera and the two rangers. Outside, stars were beginning to show as dusk covered the sky above them. Following the trails of townspeople around the corner, Sera saw them.

A large crowd had formed in the town square, easily a hundred people, most of whom Sera had never seen before. Most of whom no one had seen before. Their fashion was a mix of everything between commoners to nobility, but all the same they were dirty and worn, as if they had been traveling for days. They looked tired, sad, and scared.

Sera could feel it. The feeling in the air of fear and uncertainty was palpable. Things were beginning to spiral out of control. Not just for Sera, not even just for the little town of Rivera. The entire world of Soror would soon hang in the balance, and which way the scales would go depended on a decision that was left for her to make.