Glimmering Secrets

It was dark.
As though every trace of light had been stripped of its benevolence and spirit.

The wind began to hum, low and eerie, Alishia could swear it whispered to her—
murmurs filled with dark secrets and their unbearable pain.

Her hands went numb as a sharp shiver ran through her entire body.
The sky was dusky, the air freezing and lifeless. Shadows moved—small, fleeting shapes circling an even larger, more evil presence.

She couldn’t sense anything at all; no smell, no sound, no feeling. It was as if the world had suddenly died—every life, every being, every light drained and vanished.

These moments ago which have been filled with awe in a world of magic were replaced, as if she had awakened from a childish dream—
a dumb wish that was never meant to be fulfilled.

It was wrong, almost unreal, a demon itself was standing only a few meters away.

A few shadows drifted close, brushing her ears and shoulders. Alishia couldn’t feel their breath—only the sharp, biting cold that pressed against her skin.
She could sense the pain of millions, their suffering and tragic destinies pressing down on her from all sides.

Or so she thought—
even if it was only for a second.

Suddenly, as if it had never existed, the icy, terrifying presence faded.
Warmness replaced it—comfort, trust, a quiet sense of reliability.
Alishia didn’t understand how standing before someone could make her feel this way—yet she did.

A very tall, shimmering woman suddenly stood before her. Her hair was the color of purest snow, soft and smooth as silk.
Her eyes were a mix of light grey and the bright, intense blue of a spring sky.

The white light around her shimmered, as if it obeyed and followed her—not in fear or force, but with a gentle, comforting love—unconditional, filled with unshakable faith.

The gleam seemed to reach out to the entire place around her, but especially to her, Alishia—not just her body or heart, but her soul, her very being.

,,Hello Alishia'', the soft voice of a woman called out.

Her voice rang like a gentle wind chime in a light breeze, high and kind.

Alishia was blinded by a sudden, searing light that filled the space before her. She raised her hands to shield her eyes and turned her head, squinting against the glare. Then, just as abruptly as it had flared, the light softened, fading to a gentler glow.

Looking up, she found herself facing a towering woman whose beauty was timeless, as if untouched by mortal life. She wasn’t just tall—she was a giant, and her beauty seemed even greater than her size.

Turquoise eyes, pale, silky hair, and a face that seemed not made for this world.

'‘I have been waiting for you,’' she said, her voice quiet yet powerful, flowing like a song meant for fairies.

She smiled.

Mesmerized, Alishia lost herself in the sight—magical, she thought. She had never expected a living person to be so beautiful, only a god.

 ''Are you a goddess?'' Alishia asked, still captivated—not just by her face, but by her entire aura: the power she had and the immediate hope it inspired.

It was a really naive question— but not for an 13 year old girl.

The woman was not startled, nor did a hint of nervousness cross her face. She simply looked at her with a tender smile and warm eyes. Her lips curved, and a few strands of her glimmering hair slipped loose as she leaned down to Alishia.

,,You are a very special child, you know that right?'', her voice filled with only kindness and sympathy, sincere and real.

 She was wearing a dress just as beautiful as herself—white, with tiny silver engravings. The top fit tightly, while the bottom flowed more loosely and long, complementing her luminous skin tone perfectly. 

It was just as exquisite as herself.

For a moment, both just looked at each other. Then the woman got on her knees so she could talk eye to eye with Alishia. 

Her dress perfectly flipped around her, face glowing like crystals.
A deep feeling—it wasn’t the outside that made her so captivating. It was her inner—her sincerity and emotional truthfulness—pure.

“My name is Akari. I know who you are, Alishia,” she continued. “And I know that you also have many questions, isn’t that right?”

Alishia pauses for a moment, then answers with shy confidence, ‘Yes, ma’am.’

Her tone had a natural, childlike way, which makes the scene unintentionally funny.
Akira lets out a soft laugh; her tall figure straightens again as her delicate hand reaches out for Alishia’s.

“Come with me,” she tells her. “I will show you the place where all of your questions are answered.”

Alishia’s hand slowly closed around hers—smooth and warm.

Who was this woman?

They moved forward toward an old, castle-like building.
It was gigantic, its sheer size almost as breathtaking as its architecture. Thick walls rose from the ground, towers stretching high into the sky as if reaching for something beyond it. The castle was made of deep and light brown stone, ancient yet strangely new—familiar, and still different.

It reminded her of the old castles she had seen in her history books, but its architecture was unlike anything she knew. Pointed roofs pierced the air above, large arches framed massive entrances, and though the walls were mostly deep brown, other colors were scattered across them—red, purple, green, yellow. Not neon or chaotic, but deliberate. Strategic. As if the clans she had once seen were proudly displayed here, their presence carved into stone.

Stairways connected different parts of the castle, winding and overlapping, and Alishia wondered where they might lead.

Behind the castle, mountains rose high into the distance, the view making the entire scene even more breathtaking.

Amazing, she thought, completely stunned.

She continued walking beside the woman.

The strange-looking people—fantastical in every sense—were still fighting with all their might. 

The terrifying red warriors wielded fire, bones, and katanas, their movements fierce and relentless.

 The golden clan fought with undeniable elegance, spears flashing and armor shimmering as they moved. 

Then there was the purple clan—monstrous in appearance—swinging massive weapons, their heavy armor shaking the ground with every step.

And the archers.
Silent yet deadly, they moved through the shadows, always present, always watching.

Alishia looked around—curious, but uneasy.
She was mesmerized and almost overwhelmed by this new world, yet one question grew larger with every step: why was she here, and what did her mother have to do with it?

And then there was the memory of what Kain had shown her—it made her terrified.

“You don’t have to be scared,” she spoke sweetly. “They can’t see us.” She pointed toward the clans. “As long as you’re here, I will protect you—no matter what—and answer everything you want to know.”

The tall, white-clad woman paused for a moment, then asked with careful thoughtfulness:
“So… tell me, child: what questions do you have?”

Alishia’s mind raced—just a minute ago, she had so many questions to ask, and now… it was blank.

“I—” she started, but no words came out. Not even one.

She just stood there. Unable to speak or move, she felt uneasy—afraid of saying something wrong or foolish.

Those sky-blue eyes bore into Alishia—but Akira? She only smiled, calm and knowing.
“Do you want me to tell you about your mother?”

From that moment, Alishia’s breath caught—she had always felt so alone, so lost, so unloved. Every single day, every moment of her life, she had wondered who her parents were—her mother. And now? Now she would finally find out.

A deep happiness surged through her. All her life, she had longed for this answer—and now, she could hardly believe it was finally coming.

She didn’t have to say anything. They continued walking toward the enormous castle, while the clans at the sides slowly vanished. The sound of clanging weapons and fading voices disappeared into the distance, leaving only the hush of the place around them—all that gradually remained was stillness.

They stepped into a vast garden where nature breathed as one. Leaves draped the land like emerald silk, and ancient vines coiled around stone and bark, pulsing with quiet life. 

Everything glowed with a deep, untamed green, healthy and wild. Alishia reached out and placed her hand against a tree. Warmth stirred beneath the bark. She felt its energy humming softly, familiar—as if the tree shared her heartbeat. 

It was alive in the same way she was. The bark was rough beneath her palm, scarred by time, yet the vines that traced its surface were smooth and cool, like living veins winding through ancient flesh.

The air was different too—better. Breathing seemed not just easy but enjoyable, so clean, completely different from the city where she once lived.
It was a blessing—a gift from nature.

Alishia needed this place—it felt like something she had never felt before: home.

The woman walked toward something with elegant steps, her hair wilding beautifully in the soft wind—and then Alishia saw it too.

Akira didn’t turn around. She just stood there, staring at a tall statue—it was very old, ancient: a woman even more beautiful than her, yet stronger. Alishia could sense it before Akira even spoke.

“This was your mother,” she began, “a truly one-of-a-kind warrior. A mother not just to you—to everyone.”

She paused.

The statue of her mother truly was impressive—almost as if Alishia could feel her presence right here, right now.
Every fiber of the garden seemed to hum with her essence, whispering through the gentle draft.
God, she missed her so much—more than life itself.

She gripped her chest; it was too much to bear—and her heartbeat… it still was not here, almost as if it had sunk, lost, to the bottom of the sea.

“Everything you see here—the trees, the ground, the people and animals—even the air—was not here before Makaria. She was born in the Forest of Life, the birthplace of every existence here.”

A butterfly—white wings streaked with green, colors dancing—landed on her hand. She looked at it gently, then blew it into the air, and the butterfly soared into the endless sky.

Akira looked like a flower— a moonlight bloom.

“Life.”

She paused her eyes focused on Alishia.

“Your mother loved you, Alishia—she died for you in battle… she died happy to protect you.”

Her soft voice hummed like a lullaby in the wind, like raindrops falling on white crystal.

Alishia was shocked. She had died—she lost her again—and somehow she was a goddess or something like that. So… does that mean… she is one too?

“What does it mean by she was here before everything else was?” she asked still unknowing.

“Your mother had an ability—a ability to create life, to heal every wound, no matter how deep.
The Forest was here, and she came with it—out of her blood, every single one of us was born. She made this whole world and its beauty. But you, Alishia… you were born directly from her womb. You have more of her blood in you than every single one of us, collected over generations. You are her daughter.”

Sweat ran down Alishia’s forehead. Her gaze dropped to the ground—how could this even be possible? Her mother, a real-life god… and she—she was one too?

But at the same time her heart ached with grief, the loss of her mother otherwise also with relief—she finally knew who she was.

A warm hand touched her shoulder, and Alishia’s eyes lifted. Blue eyes, calm and endless, hovered just centimeters away from her.

“She isn’t gone, Alishia. She is here—in every living thing.”

That sentence made Alishia’s heart feel lighter… for a moment. But then she remembered—Kain’s vision.

“What about… the Demon King and the demons?” she asked, restrained, afraid of the answer.

Akira’s expression changed. The light in her eyes dimmed, and her face grew harder, heavier, almost oppressive.

“He died… the Demon King—in battle with your mother. She took him and the others with her… most of them.”

Akira’s other hand reached for Alishia. She sank to her knees, her face pleading.

“That is why… we need your help.”