Asgard
Even while seated on her bed, Sylvie could see the breathtaking scenery outside her room. The window was so large that a bull could easily leap through it, such extravagance was reserved only for the privileged in Asgard.
But Sylvie wasn't in the mood to appreciate beauty. She clutched her blanket tightly, knuckles pale, as her mind spun in turmoil. Her breathing was shallow, cold sweat clinging to her back.
She was trying, desperately to recall if anything could explain her transmigration.
Then suddenly, her pupils shrank to the size of pinholes.
A bone-deep chill seized her, bypassing even the warm embrace of the thick blanket around her. Her lips moved unconsciously, voice barely above a whisper, as if the truth were too dangerous to utter aloud.
"How could I forget… what I saw in the dream. That was a Sefirot... the Sefirah Castle."
Her thoughts spiraled.
According to the lore of Lord of the Mysteries (LOTM), the Sefirot were tied to beings Above the Sequence, transcendent existences often categorized as Outer Deities. To become one of them, a Sequence 0, a god, had to fully accommodate a Sefirah.
But the Sequence 0s in Lord of the Mysteries were far from the playful or anthropomorphic gods in comic books. These weren't deities one could reason with. To merely gaze upon them was to court madness, corruption, and death. The power they wielded rivaled the abstract cosmic entities of the Marvel universe, Infinity, Eternity, Death.
And yet, even they paled before those Above the Sequence.
According to the lore of Lord of the Mysteries, the Original Creator had left behind nine legacies, fragments of their body, kingdoms, rivers, keys, oceans… incomprehensible things. Six of these Sefirot remained on Earth, derived from the Original Creator. The remaining three originated from the Outer Deity, that which lies beyond logic and reality.
Each Sefirah corresponded to an Above the Sequence pathway.
And the one Sylvie saw in her dream…was the Sefirah Castle.
The seat of the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth.
A terrifying existence that had sealed all other Sefirot, save for the one connected to the Chaos Sea.
'To think that I saw that just before transmigration… Was it merely a dream? '
Her thoughts raced, and panic clawed at her chest.
'If I really saw that... Does that mean I'm already polluted? Or worse?'
The implications were mind-breaking. Had she been marked by an Outer Deity? Was she already a puppet?
She trembled, lips trembling, until she forced herself to calm down.
No matter how terrifying the truth, doing nothing was worse.
'If I'm already polluted or controlled, then sitting here like a duck won't change anything.'
Her gaze turned sharp, resolute.
She began combing through her memories, trying to recall the details of how Klein Moretti, the protagonist of Lord of the Mysteries, first contacted the Sefirah Castle. If he could survive that madness… maybe she could too.
She tried to recall the ritual through which Klein Moretti the protagonist of Lord of Mysteries made contact with the Sefirah castle for the first time.
After jogging her memories for some time Sylvie remembered the ritual. It was as follows:
Place four portions of staple food in the four corners of a room. They could be placed on furniture such as tables and cupboards. Then, standing in the middle of a room, and step forward went in a counter-clockwise direction in the shape of a square.
The first step, chant "The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng xiānzūn.)"
The second step, "The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng tiānjūn.)"
The third step, "The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng shàngdì.)"
At the fourth step, "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng tiānzūn.)"
After the four steps were taken, return back to the original spot, close the eyes and wait five minutes. Only then would the ritual be considered complete.
While apprehension gnawed at her heart, Sylvie knew she had no choice but to attempt the ritual.
Transmigrated into an unfamiliar world, she had received no welcome gift of inherited memories from the body's previous owner. No helpful system whispered instructions in her mind. No golden finger had granted her instant power or knowledge. She was alone, utterly and terrifyingly alone.
And yet… perhaps there was a golden finger. If her deductions were correct, something far more dangerous than a system had brought her here. A connection to that place. But if she was right, then this "gift" came with a price no sane person would ever willingly accept. In comparison, death might be considered merciful.
She shook her head violently. Now was not the time to spiral into dread.
Sylvie forced herself to focus. She had decided to perform the ritual. But first, she had to face her immediate problem: she didn't know anything about her surroundings. Except for her identity she knew nothing about Sylvie. Worse, if someone who had known Sylvie well confronted her, she could be exposed instantly.
But then again… why was she so afraid?
Why should she fear being discovered? If someone found out that she wasn't the real Sylvie… so what? That wasn't the biggest threat. What truly mattered was confirming whether or not she was connected to the Sefirah Castle. If her guess was right, if she truly connected to that eldritch miracle, then everything else paled in comparison.
"Well," she whispered, taking a deep breath, "here goes nothing."
With that, Sylvie threw off the blanket and slowly slipped out of bed. The floor was cold against her bare feet, grounding her, reminding her that this was no dream.
Carefully, she walked to the door of her room and peeked outside