Origins

"I never thought I'd experience such a strong mix of emotions again, but I suppose that's naive. This is a new world, after all. Everything here is beyond my wildest imagination." Reiji thought to himself, still reeling from what Lyrien had just revealed.

Reiji's gaze refocused on the girl sitting across from him by the campfire.

"Lyrien," he said, his voice gentle.

"What did you mean by 'not welcomed'?" Reiji calmly asked.

"Where do I even start?" Lyrien whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling of the campfire.

"How about you start with the reason we're here right now, talking even after you confirm I'm… not welcomed in this world?" Reiji suggested.

"That's a good point," Lyrien admitted. "But please, keep your voice down. I'm serious about this, Reiji. If anyone else hears us, I could be banished—or worse, persecuted—for treason."

Reiji nodded, leaning in slightly to listen as Lyrien lowered her voice even further.

"This might not be common knowledge," she began, "but it all started with Sonora, a non-physical deity who creates harmony across all worlds. Sonora tunes discordant time streams, bringing balance to chaos."

Reiji tilted his head, intrigued by her words.

"Sonora," Lyrien continued, "borrows gifted individuals from one world to another, sending them to worlds in turmoil to restore peace. Being a being without a physical form, Sonora can only pull promising individuals from beyond our own and amplify their extraordinary power to achieve the harmony it seeks."

"Then began the untold tales about the Earthborns…" Lyrien spoke, ending her initial story.

Reiji raised an eyebrow, seizing the pause to ask, "Untold?"

Lyrien nodded. "Yes. While the Mark of Nebtawi is an exception—it's highly regarded—the Earthborn who left behind this magical power is a rare case. She was named and even praised in certain places across our world."

Reiji leaned forward, curiosity shining in his eyes. "Who was it?"

"Her name was Thea Philopator Nebt Tawy," Lyrien replied, "The unifier of lands."

Reiji froze, his mind racing as the name resonated deeply within him. 

Slowly, a sly grin spread across his face as realization struck.

"It's Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator," he murmured, his mental voice whispering an awe-inspired hush. "That explains the Ankh as its mark. This is absurdly sensical."

Unable to contain his excitement, Reiji leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His hands covered his mouth, but they couldn't fully hide the exhilaration burning within him.

"Reiji?" Lyrien's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Huh? Yes?" Reiji responded, startled.

"Are you with me? Are you still listening?" she asked.

"What? Yeah, I am…" he stammered defensively.

Lyrien gave him a knowing look. "You had this distant gaze and, frankly, a creepy grin. Anyway, as I was saying—that's how I figured out you were an outsider," she whispered in conclusion.

Reiji blinked, his smile turning sheepish. "Wait, what? I think I missed something there. Sorry… Can you backtrack a bit?" he admitted with an awkward chuckle.

"I didn't really say anything, I was just trying to bring your focus back down to this campfire," Lyrien teased, chuckling at him.

Reiji smiled self-consciously, admitting defeat.

Lyrien met his gaze, shaking her head with a grin. "Shall we continue?"

Reiji chuckled. "Yes, please, and thank you."

Lyrien returned a playful smile and continued, "So, I was saying, the Nebtawi mark is given to every citizen of Hesper, the western land, when they turn five—whether royalty or commoner. Do you understand that?"

Reiji nodded, "Got it. But it's only used in the western land?"

Lyrien reasoned, "It shouldn't be that way. It was created to be used across all continents. But there's a lot of conflict. You'll learn about that eventually."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "For now, just remember that all lands outside the west don't matter, and the south... well, we can make exceptions for them. But the south is home to monsters, beasts, and darkspawns alike, so it's rare to meet intellectual beings there."

"Conflicts. Hmm…" Reiji murmured, absorbing the information.

"Anyway, we're straying from our topic. To get back to our initial conversation, I don't truly accept the prejudice Earthborns face here," Lyrien began explaining again.

She continued, "There were many things your people did to build this world—like the equal separation of the four continents, the dungeons, the advancement of technologies, and so on. The list goes on, but it was all erased from our stories because of one man—or woman."

"Who?" Reiji asked.

Lyrien replied, "That's something I would like to discover myself. It became too taboo to talk about, and eventually, the hatred for your people grew so much that it reached a point where Earthborns and Demonkin were treated the same."

Lyrien looked at Reiji, who was eager to ask, and said, "If you're going to ask me what happened… Let's just say, the entire eastern population was eradicated from existence."

"It was that catastrophic, huh?" Reiji remarked.

"It was," Lyrien confirmed. "Because of that event, the summoning portal was permanently banned from use."

"Summoning portal?" Reiji asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. It's a device used to bring exceptional individuals from your world. But now, there's no official guide on how to use it. That's why I'm asking—since when have you been here, and how did you arrive?"

"This might be hard to believe, but I was studying a diagram my father discovered, and somehow, it ended up bringing me here," Reiji explained.

"Yeah, that's too convenient," Lyrien replied. "We only know of two ways to get here—it's either through Sonora or by her portal. Which might mean whoever summoned you here must have been keeping an eye on you."

Reiji's expression turned serious. Lyrien noticed, so she fell silent, giving him space to think.

"There are too many implications to consider," Reiji thought to himself. "Was it just a coincidence that I ended up here the moment I figured out the diagram?"

"Was I actually summoned by this deity, Sonora?"

"Or is Tatiana just playing me?"

"It hurts to doubt, but I need to find Tatiana and ask her about this."