A strong gust of wind broke the silence as Lumosa sat by the shimmering lake, her foot dragging through the water's surface. Her humming carried an otherworldly calmness, yet Cleo could feel the tension lying just beneath the melody. 

The unicorns pranced around, giddy and carefree, as though they could sense none of the weight hanging in the air.

Lumosa laughed, the sound light and carefree. Cleo tilted her head, confused by the sudden mirth. Before she could ask what was funny, Lumosa’s voice resonated in her mind, smooth and ethereal.

“Yes, I truly am a god,” came Lumosa's calm, almost teasing reply.

Cleo froze, her breath catching. Telepathy? She knew that only familiars could project thoughts like that—or so she’d previously thought. Before she could recover, the unicorns erupted into a chorus of excited chatter.

"Hmm? Is the little dog being silly, Lumosa?" One of the unicorns piped up, its voice filled with childlike wonder. 

"Can you help us make the little dog forget her troubles? She won't play with us!" Another said.

Lumosa raised a single finger to her lips, silencing the group instantly. They froze, their wide eyes locked on her as though entranced.

"Dears, Hubert is worried about you all. Could you please go to him? He will play with you if you ask nicely," she said, a glint of playful mischief in her eyes.

The unicorns squealed, practically hopping on the spot.

"Hubie loves to play with us!" Violet said with a shrill giggle. "Let's ask him!"

Before Cleo could process what was happening, the pack of unicorns had taken off, their hooves pounding the earth as they sprinted toward a hill in the distance. 

Cleo watched them vanish, noting the faint shimmer of light as they crossed the crest of the hill.

‘A barrier?’ Cleo thought to herself. ‘To keep others out?’

Lumosa’s voice cut through her thoughts. “It’s something similar to a barrier, yes, but it’s also a cage of sorts.”

Cleo turned back to see Lumosa trailing her fingers through the water again, her gaze distant.

“Before I explain further,” Lumosa continued, tilting her head slightly so her silver eyes locked onto Cleo’s, “do you happen to know the gods of this land and... what happened between us?”

Cleo felt a wave of nervous energy roll over her, as if a teacher had called on her out of the blue to answer a pop quiz. 

'W-well, there’s, um, you, obviously, and uh... Talvarnis? No, that’s not right... Ugh, what did he say in class?'

Lumosa threw her head back and laughed, her whole body shaking with amusement. The large tree behind her swayed, its leaves cascading down like a golden gentle rain.

“Oh, so close!” Lumosa said, wiping a tear from her eye. “Well done, Miss Valerie.”

Cleo froze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a sudden chill at the mention of her human name.

‘You know my old name? How much do you know about me, Miss Goddess?’ Cleo asked. Lumosa’s smile faltered. She cupped her hands in the lake, letting the water pool before lifting them.

“I know you weren’t meant to be reborn in this way,” Lumosa said softly. “And for that, I must apologize.”

'Wait, what—' Cleo’s protest was cut off as Lumosa dropped the water over her.

The impact was instant. 

The force hit Cleo like a tidal wave, and she fell to her belly, gasping as her vision blurred.

Suddenly, images flooded her mind.

She saw the world in its infancy, raw and unformed, with three towering figures standing over the first piece of land. 

Thalvaris stood tall, his warm green eyes glowing against his dark skin as his white robes fluttered in a non-existent wind. 

Beside him was Obscyron, pale and foreboding, his blood-red eyes locked on the land below. 

And in the middle was Lumosa, her arms linked with theirs, a joyful smile on her face.

The scene shifted.

Obscyron stood alone, a crown glinting with rubies and black diamonds now atop his head. A cruel grin stretched unnaturally wide across his face as he pointed at Lumosa and Thalvaris, as if daring them to act against him.

Another shift.

Obscyron and Thalvaris clashed, their power shaking the land itself. Cleo could practically feel the earth splitting, forming the four nations she now knew.

Lumosa’s voice rang in her mind, full of anguish. “I didn’t want this. I didn’t want any of this.”

The memory continued. 

Thalvaris bested Obscyron, though barely. With the crown reinvigorating him, Obscyron prepared to finish him off, but Lumosa leaped forward and tore the cursed crown from his head before he could. 

Using its power, she sealed her brother deep beneath the earth of what would become the Umbrafell Empire. Lumosa then began to weep for both of her brothers, forming the seas as she knelt beside a dying Thalvaris.

“This isn’t the end for me,” Thalvaris whispered to her, his voice fading as he closed his eyes. “It’s only a new beginning.”

Cleo gasped and bolted upright, her body drenched and trembling as she returned to her senses. She looked at Lumosa, who now sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, her chin resting atop them.

‘I’m sorry you had to go through all of that,’ Cleo said, shaking the water from her whole body. ‘But... why did you share that with me?’

Lumosa’s gaze fell, her silver eyes filled with sorrow.

“I need your help,” Lumosa said, her voice breaking. 

“The Cursed Crown of Obscyron still exists, and it continues to wreck havoc, even now. I need to destroy it once and for all...to free my last remaining family member from his eternal torment.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy with despair.

To be continued...