Chapter 2

I awoke to the unfamiliar scent of fragrant wood. For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then, the memory of the night before came rushing back. 

I sat up, stretching, feeling the weight of my new body again, the curve of my breasts, the odd but thrilling sensation of my morning erection pressing against the soft fabric of my borrowed panties. It still felt surreal.

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Lady Ayra, are you awake?" It was Evie's voice.

"Yeah, come in," I called.

The door creaked open, and Evie stepped inside. "Good morning! We're preparing breakfast, you should get dressed and come join us when you're ready. There's. something Ravenna wants to show you after breakfast."

That caught my attention. "Something important?"

She hesitated. "You'll see."

Once she left, I dressed quickly in clothes they had provided. As I adjusted my top, I caught my reflection in the tall mirror by the wall. Even after seeing it last night, my transformation still amazed me.

I made my way to the dining area, where Ravenna and Vae were setting out dishes. The smell of roasted meat, fresh bread, and something sweet filled the air.

"Good morning, my lady," Vae greeted with a small bow.

"Morning," I said, taking a seat as Ravenna poured me a drink. She was as composed as ever, but her eyes lingered on me just a bit too long.

"Eat well," she said. "You'll need your strength."

I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

She exchanged a glance with Vae.

"We're taking you outside the city," Ravenna finally said. "To see the truth for yourself."

****

The trio led me through the winding streets of the city, past tall spires of white stone and arching bridges that connected the different districts. The streets were quieter than I expected for a city this large. Even the people we passed, elves, beastkin, and others, moved with caution, their eyes darting toward us before quickly looking away. I had put on the hood to cover my head.

At last, we arrived at a massive stone building, its exterior guarded by armored sentinels wielding long staves. 

We ventured inside, and rows of iron cages lined the hall, filled with figures, were they criminals? no, they were creatures that were barely recognizable as people. 

The nearest cage held a hulking beast, once a wolf beastkin, now a monstrous thing covered in thick, matted fur. Its eyes burned an unnatural shade of red, its lips peeled back to reveal jagged, oversized fangs. Heavy enchanted chains wrapped around its wrists and ankles, to hold back its bulging muscles.

I took a step back. "What the hell…?"

Vae placed a hand on my arm. "This was once a man. A father. A friend."

I stepped cautiously toward the massive cage, my boots scuffing against the stone floor. The beast bared its teeth at me, his eyes scanning me and growls rumbled through the chamber.

"Careful, my lady," Ravenna warned, stepping closer. "That thing is lost to sickness."

But I barely heard her. Something was pulling me toward the creature. An instinct.

Ignoring the gasps behind me, I reached out. My fingers brushed against the cold metal bars.

Instantly, the beast froze.

The growls cut off like a blade slicing through sound. Its body, tense and furious just moments before, went still. The bloodshot rage in its eyes dulled.

The chains that had been pulled taut slackened as its bulging muscles shrank slightly, its grotesque form easing back into something… almost normal. The guards exchanged stunned glances.

"Lady Ayra…" Evie breathed.

For a few seconds, the chamber was silent.

Then…

A violent shudder wracked the creature's body. It threw its head back, letting out a bloodcurdling snarl. The momentary calm shattered. The muscles swelled once more, eyes burning red-hot, claws scraping furiously against the stone.

I jerked my hand back.

The beast let out a deafening roar, slamming against the bars so hard that dust rained from the ceiling.

"Get back!" Vae shouted, stepping between me and the cage as the guards surged forward, weapons at the ready.

I staggered back, my heart hammering in my chest. I met the beast's gaze one last time.

For a fleeting moment, just before it succumbed fully to its monstrous rage, I swore I saw something within those wild eyes.

We walked away from that cage and surveyed the other prisoners. Women, children, and men stood before many other cells, their faces twisted with sorrow. Some clutched their hands to their chests, whispering prayers. A few of them held plates of food, slipping meals through the bars as if offering kindness to something that barely resembled the people they had once been. 

Some wept openly, others held onto each other.

"Those inside the cages were once their family," Vae said softly. "Their sons, daughters, lovers. But the mana imbalance is warping them, dragging them into madness. We try to contain them, to ease their suffering, but some… some are beyond saving."

A sickening realization settled in my gut.

I turned back to Ravenna, my voice low. "And this is happening because humans are gone?"

She nodded solemnly. "Come with us. There's more you need to see."

They led me outside the city gates, beyond the towering stone walls and into the forest beyond.

At first, everything seemed normal. The trees stood tall and proud, their leaves a vibrant green. Birds chirped in the canopy, and the air was clean and soothing. Unlike the suffering people back in the city, nature itself appeared untouched.

"This world is not dying, Lady Ayra," Evie said, stepping forward. "Nature thrives. The rivers flow, the skies remain clear, and the mountains still stand tall. But the people? They are the ones suffering. And we are the ones to blame."

I frowned. "I don't understand. How?"

Ravenna exhaled, folding her arms. "Long ago, the gods of this world took pity on the beasts. They saw their longing to live as humans did, to create, to dream, to build. The dragons wished to write poetry, but their massive forms could not hold a quill. The wolves wished to share stories, but their voices could not form words. Only humans could do all these things, and these creatures found the human form the most ideal. And so, the gods granted them a gift, a union between beastly or nature spirits with the human souls, forming the first races of Valarlon."

Vae gestured to the city behind us. "From this union, more races emerged. From unions of Goblins and humans emerged orcs. Serpentine spirits took human shapes and became nagas. Every race that walks this land today has human ancestry woven into their very being."

"And that's why human mana was essential," Evie added. "It bound us together. It kept us balanced. We fed off each other's mana without even realizing it, sharing our strengths and stabilizing our weaknesses. But now, without humans, that balance is shattered. Our people are suffering. Some are reverting back to their beastly origins, losing their minds, their identities."

Ravenna stepped closer, her eyes meeting mine with quiet intensity. "We did this to ourselves, Lady Ayra. The people of Valarlon turned against humankind long ago, and now we pay the price. The prophecy foretold this would happen and it also foretold your arrival. You are the last link to that lost balance."

So this was why they had summoned me. 

I looked back at the city, at the people watching their loved ones rot in cages.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. My mind reeled, trying to process the scale of what they were telling me.

I clenched my fists. "So humans…how did they go extinct?"

Ravenna's jaw tightened. "Some races saw humans as weak. Others saw them as a threat. There were those who believed humans had no right to exist among the more 'gifted' races. Humans were deemed unholy, impure." Her voice was bitter, but there was sadness in it, too. "Some people like me tried to protect them, but it wasn't enough. Eventually, only one city remained, a final sanctuary. And even that was burned, extinguishing the last embers of humanity."

"Five years ago," Vae confirmed. "A holy man, one who had once called himself a cleric of light, set it ablaze, believing it would cleanse the world of the last stain of humanity."

I felt sick.

I had never known what it was like to be part of an oppressed people. Back on Earth, I had my struggles, sure, but this? This was a complete erasure. A genocide.

"Why are the elves not suffering from this mana sickness like the others?" I asked.

"Elves are different," Evie said. "We were born from the union of nature spirits and human souls, which makes us resistant. But even we are not completely unaffected. Without humans, our connection to nature is dimming. Some of our people have lost their glow. Some are falling ill and many are becoming infertile. The birth rates among elves has dropped in the last five years."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up. "Then tell me, how do I help? What is my path? How do I bring back humanity and bring balance to mana?"

Ravenna stepped forward, her emerald eyes locked onto mine. "The prophecy speaks of a way. It is… unconventional. Unbelievable, even." She hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully.

"Just say it." I demanded.

She took a slow breath. "Your seed, Ayra. The essence of the Messiah. It alone has the power to restore balance."

I blinked. "...What?"

She pressed on. "Whoever you lie with, whoever you fill with your seed, will carry the mana of both a human and their own race. The children they bear will bridge the gap left behind, restoring balance. The more children born of your mana, the faster the world will heal."

I swallowed hard. That… was a hell of a revelation.

"But," Ravenna continued, "there is another way. A faster way."

I braced myself. "Go on."

"The act of union itself—" she said, "—your seed does not always need to create life. It only needs to be shared. Through sex, through a dual cultivation ritual, your mana will flow into your partner, restoring their balance. Those women will then carry that mana to others, spreading it wherever they go. Even now, we saw the beastkin settle in your presence, your very existence stabilizes them. Imagine what direct contact would do."

My mind was officially broken.

I had been summoned to another world, told I was the messiah, and now they were saying my literal semen was the cure for a dying world?

I put a hand to my forehead. "You have to realize how insane this all sounds."

Vae chuckled. "Believe me, we know. Nobody in Valarlon believes in this prophecy anymore. The religion that was foretold is thousands of years old. When Ravenna tried to tell her queen and the council that prophecy could be the only way of salvation, she was ridiculed. Called mad."

Evie stepped forward. "But she didn't give up. She found us. We believed. We searched for you. It took us four years… and now you're here."

Ravenna's voice softened. "They called me a fool, My lady. But they cannot deny what is right in front of their eyes. The prophecy is real. You are real. And you are the only hope we have left."

Four years. Four years of searching, of fighting against disbelief, of clinging to the hope that I, some random person from another world, was going to be the answer to everything.

I looked at the women in front of me. Their eyes held faith. Expectation.

I had a choice.

And I didn't want to run from it.