Chapter 29: The chosen vessel

###Chapter 29: The chosen vessel

Exhausted from their journey, Arie and the group decided to take a break. They stumbled upon a small, decrepit room—its stone walls worn by time and marked with faint glyphs that glowed dimly. The air was cool and still, an eerie contrast to the chaos they had just left behind.

"We'll rest here for now," Icelyn declared, her gaze sweeping the room.

"But one of us needs to stand guard at the entrance."

"I'll do it," Agin volunteered, stepping forward.

"It's the least I can do."

No one objected. They all trusted Agin's vigilance, and his unwavering sense of duty made him the ideal choice. While Agin positioned himself at the entrance, the others settled around a small fire they managed to conjure with magic.

Conversation drifted lazily among them, though fatigue soon quieted their voices. One by one, they succumbed to sleep, except for Lea, who found herself staring at the fire as her thoughts wandered. Eventually, she, too, closed her eyes.

Lea awoke—or so she thought—in a vast, endless void. Everything around her was bathed in an unearthly white light, the kind that felt both calming and unsettling. Her footsteps echoed as she moved cautiously, her eyes scanning for something—anything—that made sense.

"What is this place?" she muttered to herself.

She turned, and her breath caught. A towering golden gate stood behind her, ornate and shimmering with a soft, otherworldly glow. Intrigued and unable to resist the pull of curiosity, Lea approached the gate.

As her hands touched the cool surface, the gate creaked open, revealing an intense light that engulfed her vision. She shielded her eyes with her arm, squinting as she stepped forward.

When the light faded, Lea found herself standing in an entirely different space. It was a serene landscape, a vast meadow that seemed to stretch endlessly. The grass beneath her feet shimmered faintly, as though kissed by starlight.

To her surprise, she saw two familiar figures in the distance.

"Arie? Icelyn?" Lea called out, her voice echoing slightly.

Both turned toward her, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion.

"Lea? What are you doing here?" Arie asked, stepping closer.

"I... I don't know. I walked through a gate, and now I'm here," Lea explained, still trying to make sense of it.

"I did the same," Arie admitted. "But where are we?"

"We're in an inner world," Icelyn answered, her tone calm but serious.

"But I'm not sure whose it is. It doesn't feel like any I've encountered before."

Suddenly, a radiant light illuminated the sky above them. The trio instinctively raised their guard, Icelyn gripping her weapon while Arie summoned her magic. The light descended slowly, taking the shape of a figure.

As the glow subsided, a breathtakingly elegant woman stood before them. Her golden hair cascaded like sunlight, and her presence exuded both power and grace.

Arie's eyes widened as he recognized the radiant figure descending before them. Her golden hair shimmered like sunlight, and her very presence felt as though it demanded reverence. He had seen depictions of her in countless books and heard her name whispered in reverence.

"Goddess Freya," he breathed, lowering his stance instinctively, though his voice carried a hint of incredulity.

Icelyn narrowed her eyes. "Wait... this is Goddess Freya? The Freya?"

"That is correct," the woman said with a faint smile. Her voice was calm, yet it echoed with the authority of someone who held immense power.

"I am Goddess Freya."

Arie, still baffled, stepped forward. "So, uh... where are we exactly? And why are you here?"

Freya chuckled softly, a sound both amused and condescending. "Still as brash as ever, I see. Always forgetting to show proper respect."

"Sorry," Arie muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"We are in the inner world of my vessel," Freya continued, her gaze shifting to Icelyn as if to invite her to share in the revelation.

"Your vessel?" Icelyn asked, her expression skeptical.

"Since when do you have one, may I ask? I don't recall meeting the hero you've chosen."

Freya raised an elegant eyebrow, her smile widening slightly. "How curious, considering he's standing right beside you."

Icelyn froze, her gaze snapping to Arie. "B-beside—? Arie?!"

Arie raised his hands defensively. "Wait, what? I'm your vessel? That can't be right., Your book said—"

Freya nodded, her expression calm yet firm.

"Yes you are," Freya interrupted,

"or at least, you were supposed to be my vessel."

"Supposed to be?" Icelyn repeated, her confusion deepening.

"What happened?"

Freya's expression shifted, growing more serious.

"Well you see, there is another goddess... dormant within him. Not long ago, this boy forcibly awakened her—though likely without realizing it. The goddess manifested within his body, though her power remains incomplete."

Arie's jaw dropped. "Another goddess? What? How is that even possible?"

Icelyn crossed her arms, frowning.

"If she's incomplete, why can't you still stay within him? He's already holding one goddess, so what difference does it make if there are two?"

Freya's smile returned, tinged with exasperation.

"Oh, dear child, the answer is quite obvious. This goddess wields a power far greater than any single deity."

Icelyn's eyes narrowed. "Far greater? Wait... don't tell me. Is it... Hera?"

Freya scoffed, a sharp and dismissive sound.

"Hera? That's ridiculous. Hera would never choose someone like him. Her presence alone would have crushed his body the moment she entered."

Arie shifted uncomfortably, not sure whether to be relieved or insulted.

"Thanks, I guess?"

Icelyn pressed on.

"If not Hera, then who is it? Who is this goddess you speak of?"

Freya's expression grew pensive, a rare crack in her composed demeanor.

Freya hesitated. "Unfortunately, I do not know. Her power is unfamiliar to me—a force I have never felt before."

For a moment, silence fell over the group. The meadow around them seemed to hold its breath, the stillness amplifying the weight of Freya's words.

Finally, Freya broke the silence, her gaze softening as she looked at Lea.

"For that reason, I have decided to transfer my essence into a new vessel. And the one I have chosen... is her."

She extended a hand towards the one, that had been silent all the time. That is... Lea, whose eyes widened in shock.

"Me?!" Lea exclaimed, pointing at herself.