The first thing she noticed, was the pleasant sound of birds singing nearby. Beautiful, gentle melodies that seemed to stir her very soul. Next thing she noticed was the warmth, as sunlight shone down upon her from above.
She realized she was laying down, and raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight. She let out a gasp, as she looked at her hand. Dainty, feminine, elegant, and her skin looked unbelievably smooth, and even slightly tanned. Her old hand used to have marks and blemishes near the wrist from the many injections and IV's she used to get each week, but not anymore. She turned her hand around, back and forth, before lifting her free hand to touch her arm and wrist. Smooth, warm, and healthy.
In a rush of excitement, she sat up straight. She was in a field of grass, but for once in her life, her surroundings would have to wait. She felt an unfamiliar weight on her chest, and looked down to spot a rather generous bosom. Her hands moved to cup at her breasts briefly, remarking at their feel. She had been an B-cup size in her past life, but these were D if not even E. She stood up abruptly, marveling at how easy it was. Her body was healthy!
She spun around, running her hands down along her backside and thighs. Strong muscles, generous curves- not only was she healthy, but she was also beautiful! And she had long hair again! It tossed and flew as she spun around, long strands of silvery-blue hair that ended near her lower back. She had been so sad, when she lost all her original hair due to the chemo-therapy, but now she got long hair again! She caught a handful of hair and brought it closer to her face, inspecting it and its luster. Strong and healthy strands of hair, smelled good too. It was difficult to pin-point, but it smelled fresh, like a freshly made bed.
She laughed, truly laughed, her heart beating fast. It was happening, it was real. A new life, a new her, healthy and beautiful. She patted herself down, taking a quick inventory. Her old clothes were gone, which wasn't much of a loss since they wouldn't fit her anymore. She had grown, taller and more curvy. Instead, she was wearing a simple linen skirt, and a white top. That was it. No shoes or socks, no undergarments. But the temperature was warm, the winds soft and the sunlight hot, and when she breathed in, her nostrils were full of delicious and interesting scents.
Perhaps it was because she was now an elf, but she felt like she could feel so much more than she used to it. She could smell the ripe berries growing in a bush nearby. The juiciness of the fruits up on the trees. Mushrooms growing in the shade. And the slow babbling of a river nearby, and the smell of a large body of fresh water. She breathed in deeply, giggling still. To she who had lived most of her life inside the clinically dead environment of a hospital, this was paradise.
She looked around, finally taking inventory of her surroundings. She was on a grassy meadows, probably some seven hectares or so of grassland, with plenty of berry bushes and flowers. A gentle looking river ran through the meadow, and surrounding the meadow were lush forests. Looking north, the trees were generously spaced and past their trunks, Lyra could spot the glittering of a nearby lake.
She decided to steer her feet in that direction, enjoying a nice leisurely walk in the sun. It took her about thirty minutes to get there, but by the time she arrived at the sandy shores, she wasn't even panting. She put her naked feet down into the water, marveling at how fresh and clean the water seemed to be. The Lake wasn't large, perhaps a kilometer tall and a kilometer wide, but the waters seemed almost crystal clear. She could spot snow-capped mountains in the near distance, and figured there were likely quite a few brooks and rivers which fed the lake with clean waters from the mountains. From the looks of it, no one else lived near this lake either, as there was no sign of settlement or civilization, or agriculture of any kind.
The trees were a generous mix of perhaps 70% leaf trees and 30% pine, but the closer you got towards the mountains this mix seemed to shift, leaning more into pines the higher up you went. All around, she felt this strange sensation of peace. Like she was welcomed here, as if she belonged. Maybe because this was a so called "Spirit Sanctuary" which had been created alongside her, but everything seemed friendly, and she felt safe.
She squatted down by the shoreline, and watched her own reflection look back at her from the waters. Plush lips, a small nose, beautiful big blue eyes. She squeezed her cheeks and pulled at her lips, still scarcely believing this was actually her.
She sat down in the sand, feet still in the water, and looked up at the mountains and the sky above. This was everything she had dreamed of, when she wasted away inside the hospital, looking out through the window. She sighed with content, happy to just exist in the moment, feeling both thankful and grateful. In a rather uncharacteristic move, she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, offering all her thanks towards the Goddess who had brought her here. She did not know if her thanks would reach the Goddess or not, but she believed they would.
Then, it was time to properly explore her new home, before dusk came. Judging by where the sun was in the sky, she assumed it was around noon. She walked around for hours, exploring the river, meadow and forest. Her spirit sanctuary was likely thirty to forty hectares big, which was more than enough for her. The meadow was the center point, and then it stretched out about three and a half kilometers in either direction. So her little sanctuary was a 7km diameter circle, essentially. It was quite easy to tell where her sanctuary ended and the "Real" forest began, because the forest immediately got thicker, wilder and darker. Whenever she was inside "Her" sanctuary, she felt safe and protected, but stepping outside just a meter and that feeling instantly vanished.
From what she could tell, she was the only large lifeform living in her spirit sanctuary. There were birds and insects, but no larger animals like deer or hares, from what she could tell. Plenty of fish in the river and the lake however, so she had a steady source of protein once she figured out how to access that fish. But there was also loads of fruit trees and berry bushes, so she was quite sure she could sustain herself on those alone. She had also spotted a few patches of wild potatoes, and plenty of edible looking mushrooms, so she felt rather food secure as is. All in all, her walk around took the rest of the day, and she only made it back to the meadow when the sun was starting to set.
She sat down by the river and washed the dirt of her feet. She had never once gone without shoes and socks, but she quite liked it. It felt natural, going barefoot, as if she was more connected to the land. And despite how soft her feet were, she never once got hurt stepping on something hard. Perhaps this too was thanks to being an elf, but she felt as if she had more control over her body than she ever had. She moved gracefully, her body-movements fluid, and with perfect precision. Best of all, it was effortless. It just happened.
Still, it was getting dark now. She had a feeling it wouldn't get all that cold even at night, but she still wanted a shelter of some kind, at least. So, it was time to properly experiment with her unique skill, Magic Creation.