Later, I woke up.
The first thing I noticed wasn't pain or noise just light. Bright, endless light. Not blinding, though. It felt... soft somehow.
I pushed myself up slowly. My arms felt lighter than they should. My chest didn't hurt anymore. No blood.
That's when I saw them Kevin and Jack.
They were sitting nearby, side by side, like they'd been waiting a while. Kevin's head was tilted back against some invisible wall, arms crossed. Jack sat forward, hands resting on his knees, eyes puffy like he'd been crying again.
"Finally awake," Kevin said, voice calm but tired. His usual edge wasn't there.
Jack gave me a shaky smile. "M-Matthew... you okay?"
Before I could answer, I saw her.
A woman stood just ahead of us tall, radiant, beautiful in a way that didn't feel real. Her eyes shimmered violet, and her hair was a shifting rainbow, moving like liquid light. Everything about her felt... bigger than the world. Like looking at a star up close.
She smiled gently. "Alright. My name is Zalethra. And hello, Matthew, Kevin, and Jack. Nice to meet you."
Her voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be. It echoed everywhere at once.
I frowned, glancing between her and Kevin and Jack.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice rough, instinctively defensive. "And where're we?!"
Zalethra tilted her head slightly, like she'd been expecting the question.
"This is the Looming Hall," she said. "A place between worlds. Between life... and afterlife. You stand before me because your threads were cut."
I felt Jack flinch next to me. Kevin's jaw tightened.
"We're dead," I said flatly.
Zalethra gave a soft nod. "Yes. But it doesn't have to be the end."
Zalethra offering them a choice or task.
Kevin's or Jack's reaction next.
A reveal about why she chose to speak to the three of them specifically.
Zalethra's voice carried again, calm but certain:
"My creator decided to have you three brought to his world Tenari. And I am the Goddess of Magic there."
Kevin made a noise low in his throat, frowning hard. "Oh great. We're going to some kind of fantasy place... just great." His arms crossed tighter like he was about to start pacing.
But Zalethra didn't look offended. She just chuckled softly, like his attitude was old news to her. "Well... my creator did warn me about your personality." Her violet eyes glimmered brighter for a moment. "Anyway, he decided the three of you will be reincarnated as dragons."
That made me pause.
Dragons.
I wasn't sure what reaction I was supposed to have fear, confusion... but mostly I just felt stunned. Shocked, yeah, but there was something else too. Awe maybe.
Jack let out a small, breathy laugh beside me, eyes wide. "D-Dragons...?" He sounded as surprised as I felt.
And Kevin Kevin didn't say anything for once. He wasn't frowning anymore, either. There was something sharper in his expression now... interest. The kind he used to get in science class back in school when a really hard problem showed up on the board.
I pulled my gaze back toward Zalethra. "When?" I asked quietly. "When'll we be reincarnated?"
Her smile softened just slightly. "Not now. Just a few while. Time here doesn't move like it does where you came from... You'll wait, but it won't feel long."
Kevin let out a slow breath through his nose. Jack shuffled his hands against his knees, still looking nervous but not panicked.
I let myself lean back slightly, taking in the shimmering endless light around us.
Dragons, huh?
Guess things weren't done for us yet.
I couldn't just leave it at that. My mind wasn't wired to sit quietly while things like this happened.
So I spoke again, voice low but steady:
"Why?"
Zalethra's expression didn't change. She kept that same calm smile, as if she'd already expected the question.
"You see," she said gently, folding her hands in front of her, "to begin the reincarnation from someone of another world, we must first talk to them. Have a conversation. No soul is just tossed into a new life without warning."
She glanced at all three of us in turn Kevin, Jack, then me.
"It takes time. A very long time sometimes. Because souls need to be ready for what's coming to them."
Kevin scoffed under his breath but didn't argue this time. Jack only sat quietly, eyes still wide like he was absorbing every word.
Zalethra's smile shifted slightly, almost playful now. "Heck... I don't even know who'll be your parents. That part isn't written by me. My creator left it up to Tenari's world itself."
That pulled a small laugh out of me. Dry, but real.
"So we're just... waiting?" I asked.
"For now," she confirmed with a small nod. "But don't mistake waiting for being forgotten. The threads are already in motion."
Kevin leaned back a little against the glowing wall behind us, crossing his arms again. "Figures," he muttered. "Can't even die without paperwork and waiting rooms."
Zalethra chuckled again. "That's one way to see it."
Zalethra's expression shifted again, more serious now. Her voice dropped into something quieter like a teacher breaking bad news.
"So," she said, "I don't want you three to be reincarnated as humans again. Because humanity in that world... it's not stable."
I frowned. Kevin's jaw tightened slightly. Jack leaned in a little closer, eyes still wide.
Zalethra continued, voice calm but steady:
"A few hundred years ago, the human population in Tenari dropped by seventy to ninety percent."
Kevin's brow furrowed. "From what?"
"The war against the Demon Lord," Zalethra answered. "All the way back in... 868 GD."
That's when all three of us froze a little.
"Wait, what's GD?" I asked, because I could see both Kevin and Jack wondering the same thing.
Zalethra blinked, then actually giggled. It wasn't mocking just a soft, musical sound. "Ah, sorry. I forgot to explain that part!"
She brushed a hand through her rainbow-colored hair, strands of light shifting like liquid threads.
"GD stands for Golden Dawn or Glimmering Dawn. It's the year system. Like your world's AD calendar. Instead of 'AD'... it's 'GD' in Tenari."
Kevin let out a slow breath, shaking his head slightly. "Of course. Fantasy world, fantasy calendar."
Jack gave a small nervous laugh beside me, but he still looked like he was trying to process everything.
I leaned forward a little, glancing between them both, then back at Zalethra. "So... no humans for us," I said slowly. "Because it wouldn't be safe."
Zalethra nodded. "Exactly. Dragons are more stable. Stronger. You'll survive... and shape things in ways humanity no longer can."
Zalethra's voice didn't stop there. She seemed set on making sure we understood exactly what we were walking or flying into.
"Dragons carry their eggs for about 463 days," she explained calmly, holding up one slender hand as if counting time on invisible threads. "And in rare cases, when the child isn't carried inside an egg, it's even longer. About 553 days."
That pulled a surprised breath out of me. I wasn't exactly an expert on dragon biology or whatever this counted as but over a year?
Kevin's eyebrows shot up. "That's... kind of insane," he muttered. "So dragons are basically stuck waiting even before they hatch?"
Zalethra nodded gently. "It's part of their nature. Dragons take longer to develop body, mind, and magic."
Jack blinked beside me, his voice soft. "Not in an egg...?"
"It happens," Zalethra said, glancing toward him with that same patient smile. "Rare bloodlines. Special circumstances. But it's not something I can control. It depends on who your parents are... and what kind of dragons they'll be."
I exhaled slowly, my mind trying to wrap around all of it:
Dragons, magic systems, golden dawn years...
Now dragon pregnancies too.
Kevin's arms crossed tighter, eyes narrowing slightly. But I could tell he was listening carefully like this was one of his science lessons again.
Jack just kept looking between me and Zalethra, quieter than usual but not as panicked as he'd been earlier.
"So," I asked carefully, my voice steady, "how long until... all of that starts? Are we going to remember everything once we're born?"
Zalethra smiled again, but this time, it felt just a little more mysterious. "That," she said, "depends entirely on you."
Zalethra's eyes softened again, her voice becoming more thoughtful now, like she was reading from a record in her mind.
"In common record," she said slowly, "some of those who are reincarnated remember certain things... sometimes while they're still inside their parents, or while still inside an egg." I tensed slightly at that, glancing at Kevin and Jack. Jack's eyes had gone wide again.
"Some remember most of who they were," Zalethra continued. "And in rare cases... some remember everything. Every single detail." Kevin grunted under his breath. "Great. So it's a coin toss."
"Something like that," Zalethra agreed with a faint chuckle. "But don't worry. It's not painful just... strange. Like waking up from a very long dream while already in someone else's arms."
I stared at her for a second, my mind turning that over.
"So I might wake up knowing I'm me... while I'm still just an egg?" I asked carefully, not sure how I felt about that.
"It's possible," Zalethra confirmed, nodding gently. "That's part of why I speak to reincarnated souls first to help your mind prepare."
Jack swallowed hard beside me. "I-I think I'd rather remember..." he admitted quietly. "It feels... less scary that way."
Kevin let out a quiet sigh through his nose but didn't argue. That told me he probably felt the same.
I just leaned back a little again, glancing once more at that endless white sky above us.
Reincarnated as dragons.
Possibly remembering... everything.
"Well," I muttered, "at least it won't be boring." Zalethra's soft laugh echoed around us like falling threads of light.
Zalethra tilted her head slightly, as if another important thought had just surfaced. Her voice grew steady again, no longer playful but patient like a teacher explaining something she'd explained many times before.
"Another thing you should know," she said, looking directly at all three of us now. "A dragon's scales... they aren't inherited from their parents. Not directly."
That made me raise my eyebrows slightly. Kevin shifted beside me, arms still crossed, watching her with narrowed eyes.
Zalethra continued smoothly:
"A dragon's scales reflect their element. Their magic. And their environment while they grow before and after hatching."
Jack blinked slowly. "So... our parents don't decide how we'll look?"
"Correct," Zalethra answered with a soft smile. "Your element and the world around you will shape that. A dragon born in a stormy region may have lightning-charged scales. One born surrounded by snow and ice will show colder colors and traits."
Kevin clicked his tongue quietly. "Makes sense. Biology based on environment. Kind of like adaptive traits... except way more extreme."
"Exactly," Zalethra said, her voice warming slightly. "Dragons in Tenari are deeply tied to the world's balance. Your colors, shapes, and even abilities will form naturally according to those forces."
I glanced toward Kevin and Jack again. Jack looked thoughtful now, like he was already imagining what he might look like. Kevin... he just seemed serious. Focused.
I exhaled slowly, processing it myself.
"So we won't know what we'll look like until it happens," I said.
Zalethra nodded gently. "That's right."
Kevin muttered under his breath, voice low but not angry this time:
"Well... guess it really is a fresh start."
Zalethra's voice carried on, smooth as ever. But this time, there was a subtle edge of honesty in it. Almost like she was admitting something personal.
"We gods, goddesses, and even the angels..." she said, looking between the three of us again, "we can't decide how many elements you'll have."
That caught my attention immediately. I leaned forward slightly, frowning. "You mean you don't choose it?"
She shook her head, smiling just a little. "No. It's random. Like gambling... lowering the lever on a machine and seeing what comes up."
Kevin's mouth pulled into a tight line. "Seriously?"
"Yes," Zalethra confirmed calmly. "Some dragons are born with one element. Others with two... or more. In very rare cases, there are dragons with four or five. But those cases are unpredictable."
Jack let out a soft breath beside me, his voice small but curious. "So... we really don't know until we hatch?"
"That's correct," Zalethra said. "Even I wouldn't know until the moment your soul settles into its new form."
I sat back again, processing that.
Elements, colors, powers... all up to chance.
Kevin's voice came again, low but steady now. "Kind of like rolling dice."
"Exactly." Zalethra smiled wider, her cosmic eyes shimmering like galaxies. "But no matter how many elements you receive, you will still be yourselves."
I glanced at Jack. Then at Kevin.
Honestly... for the first time since we died, I felt a little more alive.
Didn't matter what element I'd get. Didn't matter what I'd look like.
At least we'd face it together.
Zalethra's smile softened again as she looked between the three of us. Her rainbow-colored hair shimmered brighter now, as if she were about to tell us something important.
"There's something else you should know about Tenari," she said calmly. "The world is much larger than the one you came from."
Kevin raised an eyebrow. Jack leaned in slightly. I stayed quiet, listening.
Zalethra continued:
"Tenari isn't just one continent or one land. It's made up of five primary continents and several sub-continents... each with their own balance, magic, and dangers."
She raised her hand slightly, and glowing shapes appeared in the air outlines of continents, floating above her palm like a living map.
"Aethoria in the north," Zalethra said first. "Forests, mountain ranges, home to Shadowwolves, humans, and dwarves. The Eldrida Forest there is one of the largest forests in the entire world."
I watched as a glowing green continent pulsed gently.
"Nyxoria in the west," she continued. "The Shadow Realm. Dark forests, shadow creatures, and places shrouded in mystery. It's not a place most mortals wander into lightly."
Kevin's eyes narrowed slightly at that.
"Aquaria in the south," Zalethra said, moving her hand again, showing a deep blue outline. "Vast oceans, underwater kingdoms ruled by merfolk and sea dragons."
Jack's mouth opened a little in quiet awe.
"Zephyr in the east Sky Realm," Zalethra added with a light smile. "Floating islands, sky palaces, avian humanoids, and wind elementals."
And finally, she pointed to the center of the glowing map.
"Elyria," she said. "The heart of Tenari. Where all elements converge. Elemental beings, ancient mages, and sages call it home."
I glanced between Kevin and Jack, then looked back at Zalethra.
"There's more beyond those," she added gently. "Antipodal continents. Lands hidden on the opposite side of Tenari's world. Kaelos, Vorgar, Nefaria, Arkonia... ancient places filled with ruins, shadowlands, frozen wastes, lost magic."
Her violet eyes settled on me as she said it, her voice lowering just a little:
"And the year in Tenari... it's longer than yours. Fifteen days longer, to be exact. Days, seasons, everything moves on a slightly different rhythm."
I let out a slow breath, trying to keep up with all of it.
"So... five main continents," I said, repeating it slowly. "Plus sub-continents... islands... antipodal lands... That's a lot more than just dragons and magic."
Zalethra smiled again, soft but steady. "Tenari is vast. And your stories will only touch a part of it. But that part... matters."
Kevin finally spoke up again, voice low but thoughtful now:
"Guess we won't be stuck in one place forever, then."
"No," Zalethra said gently. "You won't."
Zalethra's voice carried on, smooth as ever. But this time, there was a subtle edge of honesty in it. Almost like she was admitting something personal.
"We gods, goddesses, and even the angels..." she said, looking between the three of us again, "we can't decide how many elements you'll have."
That caught my attention immediately. I leaned forward slightly, frowning. "You mean you don't choose it?"
She shook her head, smiling just a little. "No. It's random. Like gambling... lowering the lever on a machine and seeing what comes up."
Kevin's mouth pulled into a tight line. "Seriously?"
"Yes," Zalethra confirmed calmly. "Some dragons are born with one element. Others with two... or more. In very rare cases, there are dragons with four or five. But those cases are unpredictable."
Jack let out a soft breath beside me, his voice small but curious. "So... we really don't know until we hatch?"
"That's correct," Zalethra said. "Even I wouldn't know until the moment your soul settles into its new form."
I sat back again, processing that.
Elements, colors, powers... all up to chance.
Kevin's voice came again, low but steady now. "Kind of like rolling dice."
"Exactly." Zalethra smiled wider, her cosmic eyes shimmering like galaxies. "But no matter how many elements you receive, you will still be yourselves."
I glanced at Jack. Then at Kevin.
Honestly... for the first time since we died, I felt a little more alive.
Didn't matter what element I'd get. Didn't matter what I'd look like.
At least we'd face it together.
Zalethra's smile softened again as she looked between the three of us. Her rainbow-colored hair shimmered brighter now, as if she were about to tell us something important.
"There's something else you should know about Tenari," she said calmly. "The world is much larger than the one you came from."
Kevin raised an eyebrow. Jack leaned in slightly. I stayed quiet, listening.
Zalethra continued:
"Tenari isn't just one continent or one land. It's made up of five primary continents and several sub-continents... each with their own balance, magic, and dangers."
She raised her hand slightly, and glowing shapes appeared in the air outlines of continents, floating above her palm like a living map.
"Aethoria in the north," Zalethra said first. "Forests, mountain ranges, home to Shadowwolves, humans, and dwarves. The Eldrida Forest there is one of the largest forests in the entire world."
I watched as a glowing green continent pulsed gently.
"Nyxoria in the west," she continued. "The Shadow Realm. Dark forests, shadow creatures, and places shrouded in mystery. It's not a place most mortals wander into lightly."
Kevin's eyes narrowed slightly at that.
"Aquaria in the south," Zalethra said, moving her hand again, showing a deep blue outline. "Vast oceans, underwater kingdoms ruled by merfolk and sea dragons."
Jack's mouth opened a little in quiet awe.
"Zephyr in the east Sky Realm," Zalethra added with a light smile. "Floating islands, sky palaces, avian humanoids, and wind elementals."
And finally, she pointed to the center of the glowing map.
"Elyria," she said. "The heart of Tenari. Where all elements converge. Elemental beings, ancient mages, and sages call it home."
I glanced between Kevin and Jack, then looked back at Zalethra.
"There's more beyond those," she added gently. "Antipodal continents. Lands hidden on the opposite side of Tenari's world. Kaelos, Vorgar, Nefaria, Arkonia... ancient places filled with ruins, shadowlands, frozen wastes, lost magic."
Her violet eyes settled on me as she said it, her voice lowering just a little:
"And the year in Tenari... it's longer than yours. Fifteen days longer, to be exact. Days, seasons, everything moves on a slightly different rhythm."
I let out a slow breath, trying to keep up with all of it.
"So... five main continents," I said, repeating it slowly. "Plus sub-continents... islands... antipodal lands... That's a lot more than just dragons and magic."
Zalethra smiled again, soft but steady. "Tenari is vast. And your stories will only touch a part of it. But that part... matters."
Kevin finally spoke up again, voice low but thoughtful now:
"Guess we won't be stuck in one place forever, then."
"No," Zalethra said gently. "You won't." Zalethra's smile deepened as she looked between the three of us.
"You three," she said, her voice gentle but clear, "will be born as siblings."
The moment those words left her mouth, Jack practically lit up next to me. Kevin even looked surprised his usual frown softening just a little.
"Really?" Jack asked, his voice sounding like some weight had just fallen off his chest.
"That's... kinda cool, honestly," I admitted, feeling my own chest ease up a bit too. After everything we'd been through, at least we wouldn't be split up.
Kevin didn't say much, but I caught the smallest grin at the corner of his mouth. That meant a lot coming from him.
But, of course Zalethra wasn't finished. Her tone shifted, voice carrying that same careful warning teachers used before telling you the hard part.
"Make sure in the future," she said slowly, "that you don't get caught by dragon predators..."
Kevin's eyes narrowed again. "Predators?"
Zalethra gave a patient nod. "Yes. You might believe dragons have no predators in your world. But in Tenari... they do. One in particular: the Drakonix."
That name hit heavier than I expected. Jack tensed up beside me. Kevin's face darkened slightly.
"What the hell is a Drakonix?" Kevin asked flatly.
Zalethra raised her hand, and the space around us shifted. A glowing, enormous shape appeared serpent-like, massive beyond reason. Scales shimmering green, blue, and red.
"The Drakonix," Zalethra said, voice steady, "is a predator of dragons. Their bodies stretch hundreds of meters long. Height alone... up to two hundred and forty-seven meters at the shoulder."
I stared up at the image, swallowing hard. Even as someone who'd played his share of fantasy games, I'd never imagined something quite like that.
"They hunt dragons," Zalethra continued, "devouring them to absorb their strength and magic. And before they do... they have the ability to fatten up dragons, making them easier to consume and more potent for their magic."
Kevin muttered under his breath: "You've gotta be kidding me..."
"They also eat wyverns, basilisks, griffins... even phoenixes sometimes."
Jack's voice trembled a little. "W-Where do they live?"
"In the Mountains of Mor'Dhul," Zalethra answered calmly. "Far from most dragon clans. But... there are always exceptions."
I exhaled slowly, glancing between my friends.
"So let me guess," I said quietly, "stay smart... don't get cocky... and avoid anything too big to fight."
Zalethra's cosmic eyes met mine. "That would be wise."
Zalethra looked between us again, eyes shifting like stars caught in motion. That calm smile never left her face, but I could feel something heavier settling over the conversation now.
"There's one more thing I should tell you three," she said, her voice softening not like she was sad, but like she was speaking about something that deserved respect. "About a dragon called Tenrakys." Jack tilted his head slightly. "Who's that?"
Zalethra's glowing hair flickered through shades of midnight blue and silver as she answered. "Tenrakys was the first dragon to ever exist in Tenari. An ancient guardian. The one who stood watch over all dragonkind. Dark-scaled, emerald-eyed, larger than any dragon you'll ever see."
Her words drew a slow, quiet awe out of all three of us. Even Kevin stopped fidgeting.
"But he's gone now," Zalethra added gently. "He chose death. After centuries of watching over the world, raising hundreds of children, seeing most of them pass before him... his immortal life became too heavy."
She exhaled once, like it wasn't just a fact it was personal to her somehow. "Even gods understand... some lives aren't meant to last forever."
I found myself asking quietly, "Did he leave anything behind?"
"His legacy," Zalethra said simply. "A bloodline of dragons. His eldest son, Kaelith Sunshadow, became the first Dragon King of Tenari. Many rulers after Kaelith came from Tenrakys' line. And even now... Tenrakys is remembered as the strongest, wisest dragon the world has ever known."
Kevin's brows furrowed slightly. "...That's why you brought it up? Because of the reincarnation thing?"
Zalethra smiled again calm, patient. "Exactly. When you're reborn, it's possible you'll meet dragons from Tenrakys' family. Or... maybe even carry a fragment of his strength."
That hit me different for some reason. Maybe because it felt bigger than just the three of us now.
Jack let out a quiet breath beside me. "So Tenrakys chose his ending... even if he could've lived forever."
"He ended his suffering," Zalethra confirmed gently. "And made room for new stories. Yours included."
I didn't say anything else right away. Just... stood there, looking up at that swirling cosmic sky around Zalethra, wondering if in that future life, I'd ever feel that same weight on my own back.
But for now, I was still with Kevin and Jack. Still here.
And our story wasn't over yet.
Zalethra's voice softened again, but there was pride in it now too. Almost like she was sharing something personal.
"My creator's favorite creations are dragons," she said. "And out of all of them, his favorite servant... was Tenrakys."
Kevin tilted his head slightly, arms crossed. "That same dragon you mentioned before?"
Zalethra nodded, the stars in her eyes glimmering like quiet embers. "Yes. Tenrakys wasn't just the first dragon. He was the most loyal to my creator. His strength, his wisdom... but also his choice to end his own story when it was time. My creator respected that."
I caught myself glancing at Jack for a second. His face always showed everything he was feeling, and right now, it was pure wide-eyed awe.
"But why dragons?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Why not... something else?"
Zalethra's smile widened, a little warmer now. "Because dragons embody freedom and power in perfect balance. My creator admires that. No walls. No limits. Just the sky, the earth, and their own strength."
Kevin let out a quiet breath like he was trying not to show interest, but it slipped through anyway. "That's... fair, I guess."
Then Zalethra added, with a sly glint in her voice, "Which is why you three will be dragons next. A gift from my creator... and a continuation of what Tenrakys once was."
That landed hard in my chest: not as something scary anymore, but almost like it made sense. If we were going to get another shot... being dragons didn't sound so bad.
Jack finally spoke up again, quiet but sure. "We'll try to live up to it. I think..."
Zalethra only nodded once, her rainbow-hued hair trailing behind her like drifting light. "That's all my creator would ever want."
Zalethra's voice turned quieter again, more deliberate, as if she didn't want us to miss a single word.
"You three," she said, "will be born with new names, but I cannot tell you what they are. They are unknown, even to me."
Jack frowned slightly, confused. "Why wouldn't you know?"
Zalethra's smile didn't quite fade, but her eyes became serious. "Because names carry power. In your next life, your names will reflect what you become not what I decide, or even what my creator decides. That's part of the balance."
Then she added, as if remembering something important, "And before you ask... yes, spirits like me exist in an afterlife much larger than what most living beings imagine."
Kevin crossed his arms, tail flicking slowly. "What kind of afterlife?"
Zalethra spread her hands, glowing patterns appearing in the air like a living map: shimmering realms, twisting pathways, swirling light and shadow.
"There are entire realms," she explained, "where spirits can manifest in different forms ghostly echoes, pure energy, even physical avatars if needed. Spirits can move objects, guide the living, or simply exist in peace."
She traced her finger through a glowing spiral. "We form alliances, councils, even hierarchies. Elders guide the new. Some spirits lose their way... ending up in the Abyss, where even we cannot reach them."
I felt my gut twist a little at that.
"But it's not just floating around forever?" I asked. "There's... order?"
Zalethra nodded slowly. "Yes. There's harmony to maintain, balance to protect. Too much revival or regeneration, too many disruptions it can throw everything into chaos."
Then she shifted tone again, quieter and sharper. "Some spirits lose themselves. Insane forms. Fractured, void-born echoes of who they were dangerous even to others in the afterlife. It takes rare things like Aethonix Crystals to stabilize them again."
Kevin blinked once. "That's... a lot more organized than I expected."
Zalethra offered a small, almost sad smile. "It has to be. Without structure, eternity would drive even the strongest soul mad."
She let the glowing patterns fade away. "So remember: after this, your new lives begin. But if you ever fall... the afterlife will be waiting. And not as an end. As a continuation." Zalethra folded her arms gently, her voice calm but steady.
"You three will have new names," she said. "But those names are unknown… even to me."
Jack blinked. "Why?"
"Because your forms aren't complete yet. Names carry weight, meaning. They must match who you choose to become. Until you awaken fully, your names remain hidden by the balance of the realms." Zalethra's gaze grew distant, her tone quieter.
"There is something else. You won't be born in a way most beings expect. You'll come into existence hidden, unseen by the outside world. And when that happens, you will hear things… voices, sounds… but no one will hear you. No one will know you're there."
Jack frowned softly. "We won't… be able to talk to anyone?"
"Not yet," Zalethra confirmed, her expression gentle but firm. "You'll simply float… silent… waiting until your time comes."
Her wings gave a small flick as she continued:
"And once you step into life, once your consciousness awakens, only then will you see where you are and who surrounds you. That is not something I will spoil. Let it be your surprise."
Kevin narrowed his eyes slightly, tail flicking behind him. "What happens if… something bad happens before we're born?"
Zalethra gave a faint smile.
"You will not die. Your existence is protected. Hidden by the balance of realms. Even if great storms rage outside, you'll remain untouched until your forms are ready."
Then her tone shifted slightly more serious.
"But… if you ever fall after your birth remember, death is not the end. The afterlife exists beyond all things:
Realms shaped by spirit and emotion.
Ghostly abilities: manifestation, telekinesis, resonance…
Spiritual hierarchies, councils, and allies.
But also dangers: lost souls, madness, forms corrupted by too much time or too much suffering."
She held out her hand, showing flickering visions of chaotic forms: fractured spirits, echoing shapes, forms twisting unnaturally.
"Spirits can regenerate endlessly… but lose themselves in the process if they forget why they exist."
Zalethra's expression softened again as she closed her hand.
"If that ever happens, there are ways to recover: Aethonix Crystals, rituals, spiritual guidance. But know this every choice you make after awakening will shape your path."
Her golden eyes settled on all three of us now, voice steady and warm.
"Now… rest. Wait for the moment when your eyes open for the first time. Until then, listen. Learn. And step into your own story when the time is right."