The First Night

After a modest dinner, the room was bathed in a warm glow that evening. The flickering oil lamp cast dancing shadows on the walls, lending the space a sense of mystery and comfort. Gathered around the small, round table, Jethru leaned in, his voice low and magnetic, as he unraveled the legend of Galeya's Throne.

"In the beginning," he began, "the land of the five kingdoms was an unbroken expanse of flat earth, as featureless and boundless as the tranquil sea that bordered it. Galeya, the goddess of the earth, grew restless, her gaze fixed on the horizon where land met water. Her curiosity burned—what secrets lay beyond the ocean's reach? She summoned a mighty spike from the earth to satisfy her wonder.

With a resounding tremor, the ground obeyed her will, and the spike began its ascent. Slowly, majestically, it rose, reshaping the once-level landscape. Taller and taller it grew, sculpted by Galeya's divine power, until it stood as a towering sentinel, piercing the sky at an imposing height of one hundred meters. This was no mere landmark but a monument to her strength, a throne carved from the earth itself.

Jethru's voice softened, drawing his listeners closer. "But Galeya's creation did not go unnoticed. Far off in the azure expanse of the sea, Neptuno, the deity of the ocean, swam effortlessly through his vast, tranquil domain. He relished the calm, the rhythmic embrace of the waves until something new caught his eye—a disturbance near the boundary where land met sea.

A rectangular platform rose above the flat terrain, stark and bold against the endless horizon. At its pinnacle stood a striking figure, her silhouette framed by the endless blue sky. Long, dark hair cascaded down her back in waves, adorned with vibrant flowers that swayed with the sea breeze. She was draped in a flowing white gown, its ethereal fabric catching the wind and dancing like foam on the ocean's crest.

Neptuno watched, transfixed, as the scene unfolded before him—a perfect harmony of earth, sky, and sea, and at its heart, a woman whose beauty rivaled any of the mermaids he had seen. Compelled by her presence, he drew closer, the waters whispering their welcome as he approached."

Neptuno was captivated by the beauty of the earth deity, a radiant embodiment of nature's grace. From that day forward, their hearts intertwined. They would meet at the shoreline, where the waves kissed the golden sands just as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple.

One day, as the first rays of the sun broke over the horizon, Galeya ascended the high platform that overlooked the shimmering expanse of the sea. Her heart sank as she caught sight of Neptuno, playfully flirting with a group of mermaids, their laughter ringing like bells in the crisp morning air. A surge of anger coursed through her; the sight of Neptuno's charming flirtation ignited a fierce jealousy within her. In a fit of emotion, she summoned her powers, conjuring towering mountains that rose majestically from the earth, their peaks piercing the sky, effectively blocking her view of the sea.

"That's how Alta-Sierra came to be." Jethru finished the story.

"Grandpa, you didn't make that up, right? How come I've never heard such a story from my parents?" Reya asked suspiciously.

"Pfft!" Lara chuckled.

"It is just a myth, after all. It is nothing but gossip." She wanted to explain that Alta-Sierra was formed when tectonic plates collided; then they crumpled and folded, forcing the rocks upwards to form a mountain range. But they might think she was crazy.

"What? Why should I make that up? That's the story I heard from the people of Estalis." Jetrhu frowned as he answered Reya.

That night, the three of them slept on the slatted bamboo floor of the loft. While the floor was hard, it was better than sleeping on the damp grass beside the dirt road or on the musty floor of the cave.

Reya slept with Sandoz while Lara was positioned herself beside her. She turned her head to look at the darkness through the window outside.

Did her father and her younger siblings feel sad when she passed away? She should have passed away right? Otherwise, how could she live in someone else's body and travelled back in time?

Lara let out a soft chuckle, a sound tinged with self-deprecation that echoed in the quiet room. It was a laugh that carried the weight of her thoughts; deep down, she knew her father would never shed a tear for her. Disappointment, perhaps—a flicker of anger or regret might cross his mind—but sadness would remain elusive. He had poured countless hours and a fortune into her training, meticulously teaching her the intricacies of martial arts, the art of wielding various weapons, and even the complex world of hacking. Yet, despite all the dedication and resources invested, it all felt like it had amounted to nothing in the end.

"Hah! Dad must have been angered to the extreme. I could see him sweeping all the things on top of the mahogany table inside of his study, then yelling at Aiden and Aira as they played with their food during dinner. Then her two siblings would cry, and he would soften. Her stepmother would then coax the pair of 12-year-old twins."

But when it was she who faltered—when her training fell short or her efforts did not meet his expectations—his reaction was different. Her father's reprimands were sharp, his voice cutting like a blade. On the worst days, his anger would culminate in a slap, followed by a punishment she dreaded most: being left alone in the forest outside their villa, sentenced to endure the loneliness and fear of an entire day and night under the open sky.

She still remembered being eight years old, confused and heartbroken when her siblings were born. Their arrival brought an outpouring of affection from her parents—affection she had never known. Aiden and Aira were cradled like precious jewels, their laughter met with smiles, their tears with comfort. She couldn't understand why she was treated so differently, why their love seemed reserved only for the younger ones.

When she finally mustered the courage to ask, her father's explanation cut deeper than any punishment. "You are the eldest," he said, his tone devoid of warmth. "You must bear the burden of our family's revenge. It is your duty?"

'Why me, father? Why not you?' Lara could ask in her heart.