Radiant smiles adorned the faces of the angelic beings who had descended to rescue Warrior Cipher, their luminous expressions a testament that their efforts had not been in vain.
Warrior Cipher stirred, pulling herself upright, expecting pain—expecting the agony of battle to cling to her flesh like a stubborn ghost. But there was none. Every mortal wound that had torn through her body had vanished. No scars. No aches. Only an overwhelming surge of power coursing through her veins—intoxicating and unfamiliar.
She flexed her fingers, testing their movement. Strength radiated from her core. The sensation of death had dissipated entirely. Yet, all of this felt impossibly dreamlike.
"Have I died and awakened in the assemblies of my ancestors?" She gasped, taking in a breath that tasted of something celestial—something beyond mere existence. "Or is this... something else?"
Her voice echoed softly in the vast expanse of the palace, its golden walls gleaming under the ethereal glow that pulsed from unseen sources. She cast a wary glance at the beings surrounding her—too magnificent, too surreal to exist in the realm of the living.
Cipher, from the intra-multi-gaming-voyage, stood at a distance, observing the scene with careful precision. Unlike Warrior Cipher, she hadn't come from battle—her journey had been different, guided by interdimensional voyages and unseen forces beyond human comprehension.
She narrowed her gaze, taking in the marvels of their surroundings. Gold-lined sculptures stretched toward the heavens, encrusted with sapphires, diamonds, and gemstones from galaxies she had never encountered before. The air hummed with energies older than time itself.
"Did you die?" one of the angelic beings inquired, stepping closer. Her wings had retracted into her body, leaving only her sheer brilliance exposed. Warrior Cipher recognized her instantly—her rescuer.
Warrior Cipher swallowed hard, unsure of how to answer. She could not find the words. Instead, she scrutinized every detail around her, trying to make sense of the impossible.
The blue, luminescent solution she had emerged from sparkled with an otherworldly glow. She traced her fingers through it, watching the ripples expand and vanish.
"How do you feel?" a voice called out from the golden throne that stood at the heart of the palace. The angelic being who sat upon it bore a smile so warm and radiant that Warrior Cipher felt herself drawn to her as though by an unseen gravitational force.
"Perfect," she murmured absentmindedly. And yet, the moment she said it, doubt gnawed at her. Was she truly perfect? She pinched herself. She was real.
The celestial woman on the throne grinned, her lips forming an elegant curve—one that radiated love and wisdom.
"Welcome to immortality," she announced, her voice a melody of grace. She gestured toward the throne beside her. "Come, take your seat upon the Throne of Fate."
Warrior Cipher hesitated, her body tensing. She had not yet accepted this reality—had not processed what was happening. This felt too much like a dream. She did not move.
Then, without warning, she felt herself being lifted. The blue solution released her, and she floated effortlessly through the air, stripped of her armor. Her burned garments peeled away, dissolving into the liquid below. New robes formed onto her. And with a single wave from the celestial woman on the throne, Warrior Cipher drifted through the ether, weightless, until she found herself seated upon the Throne of Fate.
Cipher, from the intra-multi-gaming-voyage, observed in silence, her arms crossed.
"This is not just a ritual, is it?" Cipher finally spoke, directing her question to the celestial woman on the throne.
The angelic being's golden eyes glowed softly. "No," she admitted. "This is destiny being woven."
Warrior Cipher clenched her fists. "Do I have a choice in all of this?" she demanded.
"You made your choice when you entered the Seventh Realm to protect planet Earth," the celestial woman reminded her. She paused, allowing the words to linger. "Has that changed?" Silence ripped through the palace. Warrior Cipher felt the weight of truth settle within her. She could not deny it.
Cipher, from the intra-multi-gaming-voyage, stepped forward. "And what of me?" she asked, her tone measured. "Why am I here? I have never been bound to Earth the way she has."
The celestial woman's smile did not falter. "You are here because fate intertwines your journeys," she said simply. "Though Warrior Cipher stands as the Guardian of the Milky Way Galaxy, your presence remains vital. You belong to the voyage between realms—the unseen bridges between universes."
Cipher narrowed her eyes. "I do not belong to this realm."
"Perhaps," the celestial woman mused. "But you are here nonetheless."
Then, a voice—cozy yet powerful—reverberated through the golden palace, sending shockwaves through both Cipher and Warrior Cipher.
"Fate has decided—you are the guardian of the Milky Way Galaxy. Your dwelling shall remain on Earth, and your responsibilities now extend to the Macandrian Realm."
The angelic beings in the palace rose as one, their applause resonating through the sacred halls. Cipher stepped back, watching as Warrior Cipher sat frozen in realization.
"Welcome to immortality," the celestial woman said once more, this time with a profound softness in her tone. "Congratulations—you have received the greatest honor."
Warrior Cipher wanted to speak—wanted to question everything—but before she could, an enormous surge of energy erupted within her. She gasped, her body convulsing as the power embedded itself deep within her core. The transformation began.
Her form shifted—morphing, evolving—her very essence bending through time and space. Her limbs elongated, then retracted. Her skin gleamed with celestial markings that shimmered like the constellations themselves. The ritual reached its climax.
Power pulsed through her bloodstream—wild, unrelenting—like a heartbeat synced to the pulse of the universe itself.
Cipher, from the intra-multi-gaming-voyage, stood motionless, feeling the echoes of Warrior Cipher's transformation ripple through her own soul.
And as the final surge of power settled, Cipher found herself standing within an endless expanse—its horizon stretching infinitely in hues of blazing orange. She exhaled, her chest rising and falling steadily.
"How was the lesson?" Aetherion's voice echoed in her ears, its ethereal tone lingering like the final note of a forgotten melody. She hesitated, the weight of the day's teachings pressing against her thoughts. Was she stronger now? Wiser? Or simply more aware of the impossible road ahead?