Rebirth

I still couldn’t fully grasp what was happening around me. Everything felt unreal—too magical, too ancient. Obelia was quietly explaining how the Light Stone on the Royal Castle glowed brighter with every passing month and year. Its shine was more than just light; it marked the flow of time itself. But only those who possessed Ancient Magic or understood the Ancient Language could read it.

Obelia’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke, but before she could finish, the atmosphere shifted.

The two women who had been following her earlier suddenly stepped out from behind the trees. Their expressions were unreadable, but their movements were determined. Before Obelia could even move, they seized her firmly by the arms.

“Where are you taking me?!” Obelia’s voice cracked with fear.

“Nowhere harmful,” the first woman replied, her tone strangely calm yet commanding.

“We’re not here to hurt you.”

But the next moment shattered every assumption. A soft glow spread across both their bodies—gentle at first, then brighter, swirling around them like living ribbons of light. Their human forms blurred, dissolved, and reshaped until what stood before Obelia were not women but three-tailed Divine Fox Beasts, each one distinctly feminine yet overwhelmingly majestic.

The first fox, Ruru, had white fur decorated with soft pink patterns that glowed faintly.

The second, Zuru, had the same white fur but with elegant purple patterns, almost regal in nature.

Terrified, Obelia whispered,

“W-who are you? What are you?”

Ruru stepped forward gently.

“We’ll explain later. For now, there’s no time. We must complete the mission given to us by the Spirit of Light.”

Before Obelia could argue, both foxes summoned another Divine Fox—larger, older, and more powerful. She bowed her head lightly before speaking.

“Prepare her for the journey to Morin Island,” she said.

Light burst around them again. Obelia shut her eyes, but when she opened them, she was no longer in the forest. She stood instead on Morin Island, a land filled with ancient stones, swirling magic, and an eerie, unnatural wind. Waiting for them was a female mage, her cape fluttering like a restless shadow.

Obelia stepped back instinctively.

“Who are you? What is happening?”

“There’s no time,” the mage said sharply. “We must protect your soul from the Spirit of Darkness. If it finds you now, everything will fall apart.”

Before Obelia could resist, the mage grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward a small cradle. Inside it lay a newborn baby, barely days old.

“Hurry!” the mage ordered. “Place your hand on the baby’s forehead.”

“No! I don’t want to be reborn! I only wanted freedom!” Obelia screamed, struggling.

But the mage did not listen.

The moment Obelia’s hand touched the infant’s skin, an ancient formation lit up beneath them. The air cracked with magic. Light engulfed everything.

And then—

Obelia’s soul was forced into the newborn child.

The mage vanished without a trace.

From inside the tiny body, Obelia cried out…