“For your Psionic Cultivation, I will give you the foundation of the Weave of Will.” Once more, I felt another wave crash into my mind. This one, much like the Asterian Dragon, imparted knowledge of how to bring in the world energy into my soul and convert it to psion energy. “With this knowledge, you have glimpsed into the world of cultivation. Forge your own path just like I did, and the world will tremble before our might once more.”

The pressure in my head faded away as the wave of information subsided. My mind cleared, and I turned my gaze back towards the person who was sitting in front of me. She was sitting on a throne made of the most beautiful stone I’ve ever seen. The sunlight danced across its surface, scintillating in radiant waves. The gray stone she sat on took a deep breath in and the air quivered. Mists of green poured from the bottom of her throne and spread across the ground in a thick veil of miasma.

Whispers filled the air, and the sky changed from a brilliant blue to a deep grey that stretched as far as the eye could see. They pushed into my mind, and I could hear the faintest of prayers and pleas for salvation. Countless voices reached out and time slowed to a crawl.

Help us.

Save us.

Come back to us.

Why did you leave us?

The voices begged me to help them. To guide them once more. It was as much an angelic choir as it was a dirge. Emotions tore into me like a wild beast. Rage, sadness, despair, hopelessness, yet underneath all of that, there was hope, there was life, and above that, there was a burning desire of unity. They needed me, and I would answer the call.

For the briefest of seconds, I felt my mind meld with the figure before me and a sense of purpose rushed into me. I was still Calixa Wright, but I was also Calixa Asteria. We were the same. Neither of us could exist without each other. The being before me was but a shadow of what was, and I was the light that would shine like a burning star. Where ever I came from, was not where I belonged. I would take her mantle of Empress, but I wouldn’t stop searching for myself. Though I lacked most of her memories, and all of my own, I would make the best out of it. I nodded my head and stood. The golden mist swirled around her and rose towards the sky. “What should I do first?”

“Reclaim the palace and let the world know that we have returned. Be warned, though. Once your presence is known, there will be many that will attempt to snuff out our light. The path ahead of you will be fraught with peril and war.” She paused for a moment and the green mists around her turned gold. “But in the end, we will prevail. Go forth, and in your name, conquer.” The golden light encompassed her for a moment, before blinding me and I fell backwards.

Suddenly, my eyes opened, and the familiar sight of the meditation room reached my eyes. The air here seemed heavier and deeper than before, and there was a stench there now. Something that was deeper than even the musk that permeated everything. But I couldn’t put my finger on it. Not with how overwhelmed my mind was.

Yet, in the center of it all, was a beacon of peace. A rock I could tether myself to. I focused on it, and my vision narrowed. I knew my path forward. The voices haunted me and hung in the back of my mind. I couldn’t let them down. Not now. Even if I didn’t know who I truly was, I would be there for them.

“Kharon.” I called out into the dimly lit room.

“Your majesty.” The darkness swirled like a vortex and in the blink of an eye, Kharon appeared before me and bowed low with a flourish.

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“I want a status report from all the praetorians in the palace. I want troop counts, and a layout of the area. No matter how small of a detail, I want it in my hand in no more than three days.” I had no clue what I was doing. I was still a bit of an amnesiac, but I would play the part the best I can. After all, I did this once before, apparently. Besides, who would pick up on it? After all, to the greater world, I died, so it is to be expected that I wouldn’t remember much now.

“Ah, My Empress, it is good to see you back.” Kharon stood up, and reached up to his hood, pulling it back. The darkness clung to head for a few seconds, before stretching and breaking, revealing a skull that was bleached white. His eyes were flaming red orbs that danced with in the void of his head.

Strangely enough, I wasn’t disgusted. In fact, I expected it. But it was off-putting to see the bare bones of a human. “Kharon, I’ll be honest with you. I spoke to…” My worlds trailed off for a moment as I tried to figure out how to explain what I saw. “I spoke to myself, and a few of my questions were answered. But, I’m still at a loss for my memories. So I’m not fully back just yet.” I gave him a sad smile as I stared at him. What truly had happened all those years ago to tear this nation apart? To turn the people into undead? If what my other half said was true, it took her sacrifice to stop the ritual.

“It is to be expected. You never did anything without a reason. Perhaps for now it is best for you to look forward instead of backwards, my lady. Forge your own path and only use the past as a consult.” His jaw moved, and it felt a little uncanny to watch it. It felt wrong, yet it felt natural. It was a duality that existed within me I would have to come to terms with, eventually.

“Kharon, how long have you been around? Not counting the last five thousand years, of course.” I uncrossed my legs for a moment and pulled them up to my chest. The burning desire to lash out and reclaim what was rightfully mine was growing in my chest. Alongside it, however, was childlike curiosity that demanded answers.

“Long enough for it to not matter, my lady. If you live long enough, you find that age is a meaningless concept.” His jaw shifted into something of a smirk as he spoke.

“Was this a conversation we’ve had before?” I stared up at him, and a nagging thought crossed my mind. He would never tell me. No matter how hard I would look, he would always be a mystery to me.

“Perhaps. An old mind like mine has difficulties remembering some things.” His jaw chittered for a second, and I released a defeated sigh. I would have pressed him a little harder, but a part of me knew I wouldn’t get anywhere.

“Anyway, while you are out and about, can you fetch me something to eat and drink if there is something to be found?” I wasn’t hungry just yet, but I knew in the future I would. Especially since I was going to sit here and work on cultivating for a little. I was a mortal, and I knew that whatever existed out there was going to be far stronger than me. The bright side is that no one but Kharon knew I was here, and as long as I could keep it a secret, I would have at least some time to train.

“Of course. Is there anything else that you may need?” Kharon grabbed his hood and pulled it back over his face, and the darkness once more swept in and shrouded all but his glowing red eyes.

What else would I need? I plied my mind, trying to make sure I had everything. My mind wandered for a bit until I stumbled across a vast array of knowledge that required a weapon. “There is one thing. I have the basics of the Forgotten Warrior Martial Path. But the knowledge I have in my head seems to contain information on how to use any weapon I can dream of. Can you help me figure out what the best path is for it?”

“Of course. What else do you have?”

“Well, I have the Asterian Dragon cultivation technique and the Will of the Weave cultivation technique.” As I spoke, my mind quickly recalled the basics of both of them. The first, unlike the Path of The Forgotten warrior, was a blend of ki and martial cultivation. It gave me a basic idea of how to create Ki, and how to understand the essence of unarmed combat. The Will of the Weave was all about how to transmute world energy and pull it into your soul. Even better, it gave me starting psionic techniques that I would have to explore in the future.

“I see. In that case, I’ll try to gather some weapons for you to try. I will now take my leave, my Empress.” Kharon gave me one last flourish and the surrounding darkness swirled like a vortex, consuming his form and vanishing.

I took a deep breath as I stared at the now empty spot. I had no doubt about my ability to lead. But right now I was still too weak. I was a mortal right now, and it meant that I had to catch up. So before the world knew I was back, I had to make sure that I was as strong as possible.