Like a trapped bird, jumping from cage to cage, never able to fly

But no one came. Not one soul from this world arrived to help the one who called herself a master. Was it out of spite? Betrayal perhaps? No, that was not it. Leila would never believe that her spirits would abandon her. They even stayed until the bitter end when she had perished in Earthland, sacrificing her everything to save another. They had stayed and perished themselves. But all was good now, for everyone was back, alive as ever! Things could not be better, so why was there such a dreadful feeling lingering in the air, weighing heavy on the maiden whenever she attempted to stare back into the crow's eye, one which was still piercing her body with its gaze, examining her very heart every second of its mangled existence. Looking down, the girl suddenly stepped back in horror, her eyes widening as there was nothing more in her hands than a pool of blood staining her pristine skin and soaking it in a crimson despair, Eden's corruption suddenly spreading from the very spot and gnawing away at her very being, transforming her skin and meat into wood and bark. But despite it all, she did not feel a thing. She could no sense anything at all. Why was that? Was it because she had gone through so much pain that it no longer affected her in any way? Or perhaps it was because her terror simply masked all other senses to the point where they no longer even existed at a sensable field. Was it the power of the crow, was it the miracle demon? Ah, no matter how many reasons the witch thought up, nothing helped. She was still shaking, no voice coming out of her tiny form at all.

Whąt̷ ̡i͘s w͟r̨ong,̧ l͜i͝t͏t͠l͞e̴ L̷e͢il̢a?̧ ̨Cat got͏ you̢r̸ ̶to͜ngu͟e?͡ A̡a͏a̛h, w͟ha͢t ͞a̢ ͡s҉h͜a͏me ̧ind͞e͘éd͠.͞ Tḩe̶ g̷o̢od o̵l'̸ ͘c͡ro͠w i̢s̢ ̨her͡e t҉o̴ t́a͠lk t̛o ļįtt̢l͡e͝ ̸Le҉i҉la͞.

Finally, the eye spoke out, it's voice echoing through the entire world and shaking it at its very core, the core of darkness, oozing with despair and horror manifest. Rather than like words, it sounded like screeching, the most unpleasant sounds one could even imagine combined into one and amplified, all thrown at the girl at once, in a single heartbeat. Was this real? Could this be a nightmare? Oh, please let it be a nightmare and allow me to wake already, to the world I love and adore, a world that accepts me and loves me back. Such were the thoughts of the girl as she cowered in fear from the monster in front of her.

Do҉n't be͝ r͟i͞di̷ci͠ĺo͘u͟s, ļitt͟l̢e ҉Ļe̡i̛l͏a. T͡his i̛s̸ no nigḩt͢m͟ar͝e ͝an͡d t͡he̶r̛e̕ is̸ ̷ńo w̧o͠rld̨ th͞a͡t͜ a̧cc͜e͟pts yơu.̛ ͞Bor҉ǹ ̧in̨ t̷he̕ vói̷d,̡ ̕you̶ a̴rȩ f̛ate͢d to͘ be f͢ore͞ve͟r͏ h̕at̢e͏d ҉and̡ ręf͟us̸éd̴.̨ You̶r ͟v̴e͠ry ̢exi̵şt̛e͢n͟ce ͘is ̢wh̛a̸t ͏br̷eak̀ ̧ȩv̀eryt͘h͞ing ̷ap͘ar̕t̶, ̵yo̴u ̧are̢ ̨th҉e̢ ͘kęy. ̷You ͘are t̸h͡e ́ma͢g̵i̶c,̧ ̸th̕e̵ ́po͞w̢er͝ itse͘l̶f̶,́ li̷t͡tl͜e͜ Le̢i̷l͞a, o͢h͟ li̛t͢tle ҉L͟eil̡a!.

Her ears were not bleeding, but she felt as if they could be broken at any moment while listening to that harrowing voice. She tried to open her mouth once again, but no voice would come out still. She could not bear it any longer, feeling like the demon was reading her mind with an ease equal to simply keeping that giant eye open at all times, knowing it all and being capable of responding to her directly, keeping her on a tight leash until it was finished with whatever it was doing, whatever horrors it intended to bring forth. Trying to cover her ears, the girl would suddenly realize, however, that there were none. The corruption already swallowed her arms whole, leaving them in a state that could be easily described as two flexible branches of a tree, malformed in their shape and utterly useless. Spreading through her body was the poison of true freedom, a power that allowed one to create a completely new world from null, a power that allowed monsters to come back alive.

Y͟o̧u̡ ar͟e n̴o̧t͘ d͟o̢i̡n̕ģ ́your̨self ̛a͠n͝y҉ f̵a͠vo͘r̶s ̵by̡ t̸r͏yi̶n͟g͠ t͞o ͡r͏esist͝, ͏l͟i̴t́tl͘e͏ Le͝i̸l̷a. ̷T͟h͠is is͝ ͠all͏ yo̴urs ̧do̸ing͝, n҉ot̶ m̡in͝e̷. ̴Go̸i͢n͘g again̢s̨t ̴y͞our owń wìll c͝a͠n ne̢v̀er̴ ȩn͘d̸ w̨e͠ll,̴ ͘y̨ou҉ ͠m̵u̸s̸t un͞d͠erst͠a͘-

"SHUT UP! Just be silent already! I don't care who you are, tear me away from this prison and be away from this realm, a realm that belongs to me!"

Finally, she would shout out as she flailed her body about, the wooden structure suddenly breaking apart to reveal her old and normal human body still hiding underneath it all, as if the scene from just mere seconds ago never even transpired in the first place. The eyeball would stare at the witch for few seconds before rolling around a couple of times, seemingly nodding.

A̶ah̵, ͏ther͜e͝ ͏ís th̕e go̡dd̀ess̕ we̸ ̸k̵n͞o͘w͠ ̶we͢l̛l҉ ͟and̨ ͞tr̀ưl͝y͞. Yo҉u͝ migh̷t ͞ģo by̨ ̢a͜ ͜dif͘fer͢en͢t̨ ̶nam͞e n͝ow͜, ҉y̵o̸u͡ ḿíg͟ht͘ ͟ac̕t͞ ̸d͘iffe̶r͝ent͟,̴ but ͠you ̶a҉re st̶i͠ll͘ ̢y͘ou, ơh V͟o͟id O͘n̶e. ͢Y̛oų ͝wi̵el͢d́ po҉wer g͞re̕a̸t̀er͟ ̡th̛an ̶y͏o̵u҉ ̕c͜án ͜èv̵e̡n i̡m̀agin͜é,̕ y̡e͟t y͜o͡u ̸ha̶v̵e̶ s͠ti͝lĺ t̀o͠ a̸waken͘ ̵it.̨ Yo͜u̢ will͠ g͢e̕t t̢h̴ére͜.͞.̡.̨ y͟o҉ur̛ g͏reed̸y͝ desire w͟il̡l get͜ y͘o̶u ͝t̴h҉e͘r̢e! We ̀a͠re sưr͠e t̛h͡ąt ͢A͜͞͠͝s̵̴͝t̸̷̀҉a̷̸̵̧͜r̸̢͘o̢̕͢҉҉t̶́̕͝͡h̨̕͟ wiļl h͏elp yo͝u͘ r̢each͠ ̀that̛ plac͠e ̕hi͘ms̀el̀f!

The two forms would stare each other down for another minute or so before the eye would start retracting back into the darkness of the white forest. The Crow... it seemed that it was yet another demon or god in disguise. But why would it show its form only now, after all this time? Leila had absolutely no notion of what it could be, what was its name or where it came from. So many questions and no answers, never any answers at all. Was that a curse of hers, to keep her in the recesses of the dark? With a sigh, the girl simply glared at her own hands, reminded of the scene from before, almost still able to see the blood staining and burrowing into her skin, digging up her veins. But it was not over, not yet. The eye, still somewhat visible, stopped moving back and stared at the witch one last time.

Cry̕i̸ng ͠d͝rie̛d up ̸t͘ear͜s҉ i͠s ͟a ųs̶ele̷ss҉ t̛h͝in̡g̛ t͜o͟ ͡d̢o, my͡ de͞a͞r. ̕Mo̸r̀tals̶ ͟mǫv͠e thr҉o͢ugh the ͝li͝f̢e ̛as ̸t͟h̵ey҉ c̶an,͏ b͠ut̷ yo͝u͢ are diffȩre̛nţ,̧ óh V͠o̡id̵ ̕One,͠ li͟t͘tle͡ L̸ęi̴la̴.̶ Eve͟n when you͏ ̡sącri̸ficed ͘e̷v҉erytḩi҉n̴g̀ ́you̵ had, ́yo͝u ̨wer̷e no͢t͜ allo̴w̶ed̸ to͜ peŕis͝h͘. So ̧yo̡ų ͞try ̵to ͞mo҉v̷e͏ ͜o͘n, i̸n̴t͜e͢r͝ac͞t̡ ̕w͞i͡th̷ ͞otḩȩr̵s͟ ͜as̛ t҉hey a҉t́táck ̴you. Án̡d͡ t̵hose͘ ͜w҉ou͏nd͡s͘, in ̶y̢òur̛ ̵h͢ear͝t͏ a͢n̵d̢ ̨yo͝ưr mi̕n͠d,̵ ͠t̷hey̸ so̵on҉ t͠r̡an̶sform͟ i̕nto҉ ̢bl͜ee͝d̸in͞g͜ w̵ounds͏ ̴on̕ y҉o̧u͢r wri͠sts.̀ ̶S͞uc̷h͟ ̶is the nat͘ur̢e͟ of ͞d҉esp̸aìr͟,̢ li̡t̀t͠l͢e L͝eil̵a͝. We̸ ̵w͞ill mee̴t҉,͡ so͝on͢.͞ S͠o҉ s͝o͝o̴n.

With a barely audible "tsk", the girl rolled up the sleeves of her combat attire, hiding the blood covered skin with lacerations over her veins. It was time to move on forward again and face what more there was hiding in this world... in her own Gardens of Eden. She could sense it miles away...

This world, it was unchanging. No one but her and other inhabitants could enter on their own. All others required a permission, a company of Eden's dweller. That was how it always worked, when she first invited Jiyu to this place, or when she opened up the gate for a curious explorer that desired to know more about the Gardens. It alluded to the answer she was seeking right now, that the eye of a Crow either was powerful enough to break apart the walls between worlds or that it existed in this world from the very beginning. Or perhaps... it was born here at one moment or another? A sudden itch ran through the girl's left wrist as she did her very best to ignore it and push on forward. The world, it was large. Not as big as an actual dimension such as Earthland, but surely comparable to a nation within in, such as Fiore. It took a while to get anywhere, even when you knew your way around. The different regions where the primary spirits resided... the Forest and labyrinth in front of the pink mansion that belonged to playful Fleta. A dark jungle with a dusty black house where the blind Harpae resided. The corrupted land, tainted by the humanity of vile and greedy man that tried to take the power of Gardens for themselves in the past, place where you could find the broken Lisette roaming. And finally, the Frozen cave where crystal of utmost beauty grew, home to the first and most loyal spirit of them all, Yuki. Leila knew perfectly well where each one of these landmarks lied, and yet... why did her own home feel so strangely unfamiliar right now? Finding herself walking in a meadow she did not recognize, her feet would stop on their own as if paralyzed by fear or awe, perhaps both at the same time.

"What a scary face you have there, Leila. Really, all you need to do is calm down a little bit and take a breather. Constantly surrounded by worry and stress, you look almost like a human right now."

A familiar voice, teasing and calling her out from behind. But the witch did not even need to turn, she already knew who it was. All those spirits that resided in this world, they were created by her. But the owner of this voice, she was the only one who was not created by Leila. For she was Leila herself, or as she called herself, Aurora. The true goddess of this world, revived in this world and ready to rule it once more. In the past, Aurora was the one who was born in the Void from a cluster of stray magic that became so concentrated it gained physical form and sentience. In that very place, she was wondering endlessly for thousands of years, unsure of her own purpose. But she was not lonely, nor happy. She did not know emotions. She did not know anything, as she remained as fresh and innocent as a freshly born human babe for that entire time. Until the moment a miracle demon approached her with an offer she could not refuse. The power that would allow her to learn things she could never gain in the Void on her own in exchange for her soul in the future. Truly, what was there even to lose? The girl did not know what soul was, she did not know the fear of death nor the join of life. Such offer... meant nothing to her at the time. And so, she accepted and obtained magic that allowed her to create the Gardens of Eden. There, she formed spirits in her own image and to follow forms she saw in her dreams, reflections from another world that already had humans. But things went south after a couple of centuries, as the demon returned and demanded the Goddess' soul. After all that she created, she had learned just how valuable her life was and did not want to lose it.

In hopes to outsmart the demon, she formed a new spell, one that would allow her to be reborn within her own realm, refresh her soul and thus hopefully null the contract she had formed with the evil creature. But something else involved itself in the scheme, intercepted the casting. A human male in Earthland who was just like so many others, desiring to obtain the power hiding in that newly discovered magical realm that denied them a direct entry. Because of his own magical experiments, Aurora's spell warped into something else, shattering the girl's soul instead of remaking it anew. While many small pieces of the soul disappeared into nothingness, there were two that remained large enough to maintain their existence. The larger piece remained in the Gardens and continued to exist as Aurora. However, the second, smaller piece fell from the Eden and found it's way to Earthland where it transformed into a single, strange tree. And instead of fruit, this tree bore a child of Eden, one that was found by a traveling Machias who had later named the child Leila Vergious. Such was the tale of a single soul being split in two, one being become more. It would be easy to call Leila and Aurora sisters, but in reality, they were more like clones, exactly the same when they were created, but growing different as time went on and each one of them was exposed to different environment. Paralyzed by her own spell, Aurora remained in her world while Leila enjoyed traversing Earthland for 18 years with her adoptive father. And then, finally, with a new ally named Jiyu Kazehime, the two girls entered the Gardens and fought Aurora, defeating her.

Defeating Aurora gave Leila a complete control over the Gardens of Eden, bringing her connection to the realm to its maximum. It was a sad day, one when a goddess perished by a piece of her own soul. But it was also something necessary, for if the witch did not act how she did, she would be eventually absorbed back into the bigger piece of soul and the two would become again, one with greater soul power overpowering the other and erasing them completely. In a sense, it was all nothing more than an act of self-defence. Once the battle was over, the demon approached Leila and with his usual grin proclaimed that watching the suffering of two beings so close as sisters was enough of an entertainment for him to null the deal. The girl's soul was no longer in any danger whatsoever. Not to mention, Aurora was now back as well, reborn through her own world. With the demon's deal gone, everything seemed to have worked out perfectly. Only... there was a human aspect to it all as well. Something that could have been expected from the moment the true goddess returned. Even though her other half had no interest in actually ruling over the realm and gave her the position of a ruler back, there was a deep hatred, scars that adorned the defeated female. She had not quite forgiven her other half just yet. After all, she was slaughter by her, an experience of no pleasure at all. Could anyone blame her for feeling hostile? Perhaps, living creatures were capable of judging just about anyone for anything they would do. But this time, there were only two figures standing in the field of nothingness, surrounded by the azure and white of the Gardens, no audience and no judge to help none.

"Leila... you still don't realize what situation you are in right now, do you? Doesn't everything seem strange to you? Aren't the whispers of the wind around you so much darker than they were before? This is the world you have always known, yet it feels different to you, does it not?"

"Why would you know something like that...? What is going on, Aurora? The eye from before that has never been in this world, this strange feeling all around me, it's like I'm walking in circles. It's making me so dizzy... why? You know the answer, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I am the one who rules this world, the one who created it and sustains it. But how pathetic do you look right now, dear... do you not question how you came here? Do you remember willingly entering the gardens at all?"

With those words, the silver-haired maiden suddenly took a step back, her head hurting as she struggled to remember. But it was to no avail, as no memories came to her side, nothing she was seeking could be found. Just like her other half pointed out, she had no idea how she entered this realm today. She simply found herself walking toward the eye and then... the rest was crystal clear. But before then? Only pitch black nothing.

"Unless you start taking things seriously, you will fail at everything. That appears to be what many people say in the world you love so much. But in your case, it's the opposite. You started taking matters of that place far too close to your heart. Allow me to enlighten you then. We went to Kyoka as you demanded in order to fix what you think is broken. But at our way back, a number of dark mages showed up. They cast some sort of barrier around us, nothing to worry about. However, I used the chance that gave me to merge our bodies. Right now, my consciousness is split in two, one half controlling your physical form and leading it back to Earthland while the other half is here, talking to you right now."

How could something like this be possibly happening? Aurora controlling her body in Kyoka? It wasn't something unthinkable, but then... how come she was here, talking and feeling everything like normal, albeit being somewhat confused? All of these crazy words, reaching her ears, it was making the whole world spin around her. How should she even react to something like this? It seemed impossible, she was not prepared. Of course, how could be anyone prepared for something like this? Her head would slowly sink into her sweaty palms as she tried to connect the dots, make sense of it all.

"What are you talking about... I'm clearly here, not there. If I'm here... I'm still myself, you're not... you're... not..."

"Have you already forgotten who we are? I already said it too... that you look quite 'human' right now. The you that you are, that is standing here and talking to me is your divine form. We both have one. Noheme has one as well. We who were born of pure magic in the void cannot hope to interact with the world such as Earthland in our divine state. So we formed physical bodies that we wear like shells when we visit the other dimension. You were born with your physical form already active. And it seems like you never really remove it either. Look at yourself... your divine form looks exactly the same as your physical one, only showing just how much you were influenced by humans and how much you got used to them."

"And what? Why would that be a problem? I love humans! Yes, they can be ruthless at times, but... they can also be more kind than anyone!"

"Kind like your dear friend Jiyu, for whom you sacrificed yourself? Or maybe like the yokai that stole her from you, Marschal?"

The goddess would grin as Leila froze in place, unable to even lift her gaze at her other half anymore. She was completely paralyzed by these events, not knowing how to deal with them in the slightest.

"It's not about who is good or who is evil. It is all about you. You are destroying yourself because of these people. Thinking that your revival broke the time and space itself? Trying to find answers to a missing person who simply vanished? Let me entertain you for a bit... I know precisely what happened to him and where he is. I also know what happened to Jiyu and why she lost her memories of him. Not one thing of it is your fault by any means. It is as simple as you just not being present for any of it, not being involved. And yet, you keep on trying to fix everything, even if there is no need to. You keep blaming yourself even when you're not involved. Look at your left hand! Look at it and tell me what demons you can see..."

Slowly lifting her hand in front of her, the silver-haired maiden would pull back her sleeve to reveal damaged flesh, deep scars running into her wrist. Not one, not two. There was at least dozen, if not more. Some of them even running so deep into her body that if she was human, her hand would no longer operate at all. Her left hand... it was damaged more than anything else on her body. When did she even do something like this? Once again, she had no recollection. And yet, she knew deep inside that these were not injuries caused by someone else. She also knew that they were much more special, as any regular wound on her body would heal in a day or two, leaving behind only her perfect skin. These were not going away... they were to stay and greet her every single day.

"Do you understand now? I have done what I've done out of caring for you, not out of spite. You are actively making yourself crumble into pieces. I have every reason to hate you for what you did to me but I don't. You are part of me and I am part of you. If you were to destroy yourself... we could not bear it. This world could not bear it, not again. We have both gone through death and are bonded by something stronger than anyone can even imagine. I'm willing to do anything to save you from yourself. And for that very reason, this place shall become your prison. You need some time for yourself. There is no vaccine to cure our dirty needs. But with time, we can heal most of our wounds. So lay quiet, I shall take care of things in your stead."

Along with the melody that those words played on the strings of wind, the resonance of this world, the caretaker had fallen to her knees, her face buried in her palms as she knelt there unmoving. The Gardens themselves started shifting to Aurora's desire and goal, tall vines growing into the skies all around them, conjoining a great deal into the air. A cage. A birdcage that grew around the girl, larger than even most houses and leaving plenty for her to move around. Beautiful flowers would arrange themselves, wood growing out of the Earth and shaping itself to create a bed right behind her, leaves that swayed in the air like a silk creating the sheets. Stones would roll around to form streets and walkways around the girl's new home as a multitude of different objects formed in every single direction. If she was to be stuck here for some good amount of time, then at least she should be comfortable, such was the logic that the realm's goddess followed. Perhaps a solution like this was a harsh and hasty one, not optimal in any manner. But what else was she to do? Despite her endless lectures and explanations, she too was completely clueless about the fears and hardships they had to face. There was a terrible dark coming and Aurora was afraid of it herself. Afraid of the black, afraid of the crow and its unyielding gaze. She did not want to face it all alone either. And Leila would be the greatest ally to have by her side. And yet, she desired not to burden her any further than she already had. There were others that she could rely on, so surely she would be able to fix everything in the end, right? She managed so far after all! Yes... she was able to survive even before Leila was born, created from her own soul.

"I am strong."

She would say to herself and repeat, her voice growing weaker and meeker with every word she uttered again and again. In the end, she wasn't able to believe in her own words anymore, such was her cowardly nature. Back then, she tried to run from the demon and their deal instead of facing it head on. And now, she was trying to run once more, hide behind all the other spirits she created, ones that lived in this world peacefully. Take advantage of their helpful and willing nature. Did she truly deserve to be the goddess of this world she had created? Perhaps the crown really did belong to her smaller counterpart. By taking on her duties in Earthland while she rested in this cage of nature, born from Eden, would she prove that she was still worth something? Anything at all? She would start walking slowly, unsure of herself. And eventually, she would reach the collapsed female, her small frame still on her knees in the middle of her prison. Could she really not process any of it? Could she not hear, nor see what was going on around her? Ah, what a poor girl. She was always so courageous, eager to throw herself into the action, into danger head on! But in the end, fear to her away as well. It seemed such an unbeatable emotion, so primal and powerful. Every solution to it seemed only temporary and it kept on coming back, gnawing at their very existence. Fear was truly something to be... feared. But even if only this time, Aurora decided to steel herself and face it all, embrace whatever would come her way. Falling onto her own knees, the heavy golden staff she was always holding made a terrible noise, falling onto the ground next to the two now hugging girls.

"Can you promise me that everything will be okay in the end? Can you promise me that they won't hate us for what we are and how we act? I don't want anyone to hate me... I obtained so much happiness, but it all fell into darkness again! Why..."

"I don't know. I can't promise you anything, dear. But... in the very least, I shall do my very best as the creator and ruler of this world to protect my subjects, including you! I'll face the demons this time. Even if it will mean my end, I will ensure that you will no longer suffer in this world of ours!"

Breaking the embrace, the goddess would stand up, new determination found and a spark of life filling her eyes. She was not ready to give up yet after all. She probably never would be. But that was life, it seemed. If she had never accepted that demon's offer back in the Void, she would be there still. Devoid of any emotions and feelings whatsoever, simply content by her existence alone. Perhaps such sad life would have been better. But... it's hard to say now. For what the two girls held in their hands right now, they would kill for it. Even if the time would move back, they would do everything the same in order to get back where they are now. That was their conviction.

"I'm sorry, Elyx... for lying to you. When you chose me as your Ace, I told you that if I had the option to do everything again, I would change it all, that I would explore all the other possibilities. But I no longer care. I have tasted it... how sweet can friendship and love be. How good can power feel. How content you can truly be. We'll do it all again, exactly the same! Wait for me... for us, just a little bit longer please."

As the silence slowly drowned the young caretaker's voice, the silver-haired maiden succumbed to her sweet dreams, her divine body to sleep in the cage of a hopeless plea. Now only one remained, once again a solitary being, picking up her staff and walking away from what was once an empty pasture filled with the beautiful azure blue grass. But now, the birdcage towered tall in the center of this world, a new landmark to remain in place for ages to come. The way of life was a cruel one, but also unavoidable. And so, while her determination could be held steady, Aurora walked forward to the approaching dark. It seemed that she took longer than was originally planned with her other half, as she could already see a dark dot in the distance, a speck in the skies as if someone took an eraser and removed part of the reality itself. Whatever was approaching, she only knew that it was not good in nature. But what exactly it was, such information was not available to her. Swallowing audibly, she smiled weakly. The fear had already taken root in her eons ago. And today, she desired to face it. The moon was shining onto her form brightly as her angelic wings spread, showing just how grand her form could be while taking to the skies, heading straight to the guardian tree that grew over everything in this realm, overlooking the residents of the Gardens. But she did not stop, as she moved past it and to the very edge of the world she created. Its size was already compared to something in Earthland, making this dimension one of the smaller ones. But even if she wanted, Aurora no longer possessed the magic that she received from the demon, ability to create an entire world out of nothing. She could easily change anything that was already present inside of it, but not add another portion it seemed.

"I can only wonder where you are now..."

Despite everything that happened, she felt somewhat attached to the demon, despite never even learning his name and the suffering he caused. Perhaps it was because they were both considered an oddity in just about any world they could visit. The miracle demon... he could not have been born in any normal world either. Just like the goddess was born in the Void, place that should be devoid of any life, they were simply unnatural and swimming against the current of reality. With a sigh, she would try to relax her body, hearing a number of footsteps behind her as another spirit approached. A seemingly young girl with short white hair and kimono, barefoot and adorned with blue dragon horns and tail. Yuki, the first spirit who Aurora created when she finished forming the Gardens. Someone who would always hold a special place in her heart and someone that would stay loyal no matter what. Her presence alone was reassuring, though the goddess was unsure of how the spirit even knew that she would be here at this time, ready to face whatever was coming.

"Trying to face everything alone despite not wanting to. You have truly not changed one bit, my lady. I understand your decisions always. Back when you tried to make Jiyu Kazehime hate Leila and even now that you have locked the girl in a cage she can simply walk out of at any time. But... I have grown to see that even your logic can be flawed. Whatever is coming, I will help you. Please, do not try to push me away. You gave me life and I want to repay the kindness! To both you and Leila, when the time is right."

Aurora, who was looking over her shoulder and the small dragon girl simply smiled and nodded. She understood the desires of her creation. And she understood her own desires as well. Having such a reliable ally on her side, the fear was nearly completely subdued inside of her. Suddenly, the black spot in the space started growing and an extremely fast pace, eating away at the skies and ground alike. It prompted both of the females to enter a fighting stance, ready to strike back. But to everyone's surprise, the spread stopped as quickly as it started. It was not darkness that wished to consume the gardens. No, it was more like... an emptiness that opened up a door.

"This is... the Void? Why...?"

A giant circular hole at the edge of the world, leading right into the black abyss shrouded in oddly color mist, a vile tint tainting it. It seemed that the Gardens of Eden were expanded once more, though through much stranger means than ever before. From the Void, not a single thing came forth, nor stared at them. Aurora remembered it clearly still... the loneliness of that place. Nothing was alive there, nothing could be. By that logic, there could be no one to open such gate, merge portion of the Void and Gardens together to create a passage. So why did something like this happen? Was there even a reason? If nothing else, it was certainly a hint at things which would come in the near future. Returning to a more relaxed position, the goddess would turn her back toward the endless black hole and face her companion with a concerned expression.

"The energy that was approaching already depleted itself. I don't know what's happening, but we'll get answers soon enough. Go and tell the other spirits, we need to keep an eye out on this... phenomenon. While Leila rests, I have business in Earthland to attend to in her place. I believe you will do a fine job as always, Yuki."

With a smile, the goddess' body would slowly start falling apart into particles of light, her divine form that was occupying this world until now returning to her physical form that merged with Leila's body over in the Earthland as she was returning from her contract. Things will most definitely get interesting from now on...