"I don’t know much, but…" She paused briefly, her glowing eyes watching Emma carefully. "It seems you have an ability to manifest anything you desire."
Emma felt the words settle into her mind like a slow-moving current, repeating them inwardly. Manifest anything…
Luna continued, shifting slightly where she sat. The soft glow of the cave light traced the contours of her face, casting delicate shadows as she rested her hands on her legs. "From what I can see, having a Dragon Ki Core means you possess an immense, ancient power." Her voice carried a weight... something more than mere speculation, something closer to certainty.
She let the words hang for a moment long, before continuing, her gaze unmoving. "But having this type of Dragon Ki Core… especially this one…" A flicker of something unreadable passed through her glowing eyes. "It means you might not be from this fruit of narrative."
Emma’s breath stilled.
Not from this… fruit of narrative?
The words made little sense to her. She had already struggled to understand the idea of a Dragon Ki Core, but now this? What did Luna mean? What exactly was she implying?
The confusion must have been clear on her face, because Luna leaned in slightly, one hand reaching out to rest gently on Emma’s shoulder.
"Don’t think too much about it right now," she said softly. The warmth of her palm was calming, grounding. "Let the truth unfold itself… slowly."
Her glowing white eyes met Emma’s directly, steady and calm.
Emma exhaled, her breath slow and measured.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
She nodded. Then, with another inhale, she paused, briefly holding the breath in her chest.. before releasing it in a quiet sigh. The weight pressing against her mind loosened, if only slightly.
As the tension eased, a question surfaced.
"What is a fruit of narrative, if I may ask?"
Luna stilled slightly for a moment.
Her gaze lingered on Emma, thoughtful. Then, after a brief pause, a small, knowing smile curved her lips.
"Think of it as a whole world," she began.
Her voice was smooth, intentional.
"A hyper-absolute simulation. A place where self-contained stories are created into a higher existence."
She raised one hand, palm facing upward.
The air shimmered.
Tiny specks of silver-blue light flickered into being, forming delicate patterns above her open palm. One by one, Moonflies emerged from the soft glow, their tiny wings humming faintly as they hovered in the air.
The cave brightened.
Emma watched as the light traced across the stone walls, stretching like delicate silver veins through the dimness.
"That is the world we live in," Luna continued, watching the Moonflies dance in the air. "It’s the endpoint of all normal lives. And rising out of it…".. her voice lowered slightly, almost reverent... "is the beginning of something new."
The Moonflies swirled, their glow intensifying.
"A rising to ascension."
The light filled the cave, luminous and surreal. Then, gradually, as if following an unseen command.. the Moonflies faded, their glow diminishing until only a few remained, gently drifting through the air.
Emma’s fingers curled slightly.
She understood, at least a little. It was like… ascension to godhood. The thought immediately brought to mind the multiple Ki Core stages she had learned about in the library.
The realization sat heavy in her mind.
Luna’s voice pulled her back.
"Do you have any other questions?"
Emma blinked.
Then, a sheepish smile tugged at her lips.
"Actually… I do."
Luna nodded, signaling for her to continue.
Emma hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Have you… risen out of the fruit? I mean.. " she adjusted slightly, "the fruit of narrative?"
Luna didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, a small smile touched her lips, something almost amused, yet not quite.
A pause.
Then, softly..
"I’m about to."
Emma’s breath caught.
"You’re about to…"
The words echoed in her mind.
This girl... Luna, was about to ascend.
To godhood.
Any Moment From Now...