After a long day of confusion, danger, and paperwork, Akari felt like she could sleep for a week.
Elen found her slumped on the living room sofa, half-drifting in and out of sleep. The soft crackle of the fireplace was the only sound in the room.
"Miss Akari," Elen said gently, her voice as calm as ever. "Your room is ready."
Akari blinked herself awake, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, thank you, Miss Elen. I must've… kind of passed out there."
"That's quite understandable," Elen said with a small smile. "Lady Lyra told me you had quite the adventure today. Please, follow me."
Akari nodded groggily and followed her down the quiet hallway. The house was peaceful, warmly lit by enchanted lamps that glowed softly. Elen opened a wooden door at the end of the hall.
"This will be your room," she said.
The room was small but cozy. A neatly made bed sat against the wall, covered in a pale-blue quilt. A small writing desk rested beneath the window, and a wardrobe stood nearby. Everything smelled faintly of lavender.
Akari's tired eyes softened. "It's perfect…"
"I'm glad you think so," Elen said, bowing slightly. "If you need anything, fresh clothes, a bath, or tea, please let me know. Otherwise, rest well."
"Thank you, Elen."
When the maid left, Akari sat on the edge of the bed and looked around, almost unable to believe it.
Just this morning, she'd been surrounded by fire, blood, and screaming soldiers. Now she was safe, inside a warm home, with a bed of her own.
She ran her hand over the quilt and exhaled softly. "This doesn't feel real…"
She changed into the light nightgown Elen had left on the bed, blew out the lamp, and crawled beneath the covers.
The pillow was soft. The world faded quickly.
And then,
A familiar white light swallowed her vision.
Akari blinked, finding herself standing once again in that endless, shimmering void, the same one where she'd first met the goddess.
"Oh no… not again…" she muttered.
A soft voice echoed from behind her. "A-Akari! You're here! Good, good! I was worried you might not be asleep yet!"
Akari turned, spotting the flustered goddess herself, Zilyana, floating a few feet above the ground. She looked nervous, almost guilty.
"Zilyana," Akari sighed. "Let me guess, you came to apologize?"
Zilyana winced. "You… guessed correctly."
Akari crossed her arms. "You dropped me into a warzone."
"I know! And I'm so sorry! I meant to send you to a peaceful village in the southern plains! But I, um… miscalculated the coordinates."
"Miscalculated," Akari repeated flatly. "You're a goddess. How do you miscalculate?"
Zilyana fidgeted, twirling a strand of her glowing hair. "Creation magic is… complicated!
Akari groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "You really are a mess, you know that?"
Zilyana drooped like a scolded child. "…Yes. I'm a terrible goddess. I should probably make you a cake or something to apologize properly."
Akari blinked. "...You can bake?"
"Of course not! But I could create a cake! Out of starlight!"
Akari opened her mouth, thought about that, then shook her head. "You'd probably blow up my room."
The goddess huffed softly, crossing her arms in mock offense, but her guilt didn't fade. "Still, I truly am sorry. I didn't mean for you to end up in such danger. I wanted you to have a gentle second life… not to nearly die twice in one day."
Akari sighed and softened her tone. "It's fine. I mean, I'm alive. Lyra saved me. I even have a place to stay now."
Zilyana's expression brightened. "Really? Oh, I like Lyra! She's one of my favorite creations. Brave, kind, and a little bit scary, just how I designed her."
Akari blinked. "…You designed her?"
"Of course! I designed everyone!" the goddess said proudly, then paused, realizing how that sounded. "Ah, but, um, not in a creepy way!"
Akari shook her head, half amused, half exasperated. "Unbelievable…"
Then her thoughts returned to what had been bothering her all day. "Actually, Zilyana, about my power. You said I'd have some kind of blessing or gift. But when I registered at the guild, nothing showed up. It said I had no skills. Care to explain that?"
Zilyana froze mid-air.
"…Ah."
"'Ah'? What do you mean, 'ah'?" Akari demanded.
The goddess gave a nervous laugh. "W-Well, about that… I might have given you… a little too much."
Akari stared blankly. "…Too much what?"
Zilyana clasped her hands together, smiling awkwardly. "A portion of my power."
"…What?"
The goddess nodded rapidly. "Just a small portion! Tiny, really! Barely a drop of divine essence! But it's still part of me, which means this world can't… exactly measure it using their magic systems. So to the guild's crystal, it probably looked like you had no power at all."
Akari's eye twitched. "So the reason I look completely powerless is because I'm too powerful to measure?"
"Pretty much!" Zilyana said brightly, then wilted. "I, um, may have accidentally broken the system."
Akari buried her face in her hands. "You are the worst goddess ever."
"I know!" Zilyana whined. "I'm sorry! I just wanted to make it up to you! I didn't think it would confuse the magic!"
The two stood in awkward silence for a moment.
Finally, Akari sighed and looked up. "So what does that mean for me now?"
"It means your power will awaken naturally," Zilyana said, her tone growing a bit more serious. "You won't be able to control it right away, but it will respond to your heart, not your status. Trust it, and it will protect you."
"…That's vague and unhelpful."
Zilyana winced again. "I'll… try to be less vague next time."
Akari gave her a tired look. "…Let's just hope there isn't a next time."
The goddess's expression softened into something almost maternal. "Rest well, Akari. This world is dangerous, but you're not alone. You were meant to live, to find your place here. I'll be watching over you… from a safe distance this time."
Akari smiled faintly despite herself. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't drop another lightning bolt on me."
"I'll… do my best."
Zilyana waved her hand, and the dream began to fade into light.
When Akari opened her eyes, sunlight streamed through the window of her new room. The sounds of birds and distant city chatter filled the morning air.
She stretched, yawning.
"…That wasn't just a dream, was it?"
But as she looked down at her hand, she noticed a faint shimmer of gold along her palm, there for only a second before fading away.
Akari sat up, heart pounding softly.
"…A portion of a goddess's power, huh?" she whispered. "What have I gotten myself into this time?"