"As she burned upon the pyre

Her heart turned black with the deepest desire

And her anguish gave birth to the Age of Monsters"

~ Excerpt from Folktales Regarding the First Age

Eventually, the peaceful moment had to end as the two siblings separated. Both of them settled down beside each other near the lakeshore. The blue water shimmered under the light as a gentle breeze blew through the tall green grass. The scent of summer, of warmth and security, allowed Serena to slip into a rather mellow state.

From the moment they could walk and talk, which was starting about six months for both of them, the trio of children had been put through the wringer. They had been training constantly, whether with magic, physical skills, or knowledge. Magic and knowledge came naturally to her, and it fascinated her like nothing else. Physical training was a different kind of learning and took some time for her to realize that the conditioning and learning of various skills like parkour, running safely, swimming, diving, and climbing was also knowledge. From there her mind more easily accepted and adapted to it, causing the training to go smoother.

More than even when she was in the Imperial court, Serena felt that her survival depended on her ability to navigate the world without causing problems.

The books Marama handed out weren't random, either. The huntress curated material to build a foundation as if she was teaching them about their world from scratch. Where Marama's knowledge or methods of information gathering lacked or were purposefully dodgy, her beloved brother Kalani filled in the gaps.

He knew quite a bit about the workings of various factions like the Fellowship, Ascended Temple, and Moira Institute. He even knew much of the Institute's Dark Library contents by heart and how the Research Division functions and their projects overall.

At one point, Serena wondered if her brother had been one of the scientists and researchers for the Moira Institute before he was sent back in time.

Kalani gave her and Arima maps, charts of noble families, and then started touching on the sciences of their world. In more private lessons, he taught her about the Fellowship and their lineage.

He knew far too much about Irvin Amatus and their mother for his age, and Serena suspected that he had tried to reach out to their father in his past. He never talked about the future but made contingency plans for all sorts of situations. Given the way he treated and viewed her as a vital part of his well-being and his most precious person, she either died horrifically in his time or perhaps never even existed. Both were unsettling to consider.

Through Kalani's lessons, Serena discovered the exact state of magic, technology, and professions. To say she was disappointed would be an understatement. The profession of Artificing was extinct, along with Enchanters, Engravers, Runesmiths, and Alchemy in the way she handled it. Aside from that, countless more niche applications and professions were far weaker. Technology and manatech were at best limited to small personal gadgets and quality of life tools like lights, plumbing, and communication. Even then, it was often too expensive or hard to replicate for practical every day, use. Magic, like most things, tended to focus around Classes which she would learn about tomorrow during the seasonal ritual of Classing.

"What was your last memory before you were reborn?"

Serena froze and sat up, her body protesting the sudden shift from the prone state. She turned to stare at Kalani who was ignoring her stare.

While it had been agreed upon that she had been reincarnated and was learning everything new, it was rarely brought up or referenced. It was the same for Kalani having somehow sent his mind back in time to an earlier part of his life.

Neither did anyone good to linger on the implications so why did he ask now?

Suspicious about what he was scheming, Serena decided to be upfront about it. "I was burnt at the stake. Before that, I had been mutilated and tortured." By those, I loved and trusted.

Kalani nodded his head in thought before turning to look at her. What she saw was mind-boggling.

The purple-haired boy who would gladly torture anything for fun and watch them suffer was distraught. His lilac eyes were full of life and emotions, a rarity when it didn't involve her or his interests and hobbies, but he looked like he was about to cry.

Serena wrapped her arms around him on instinct, running her hands over his back in soothing circles. It was odd that he would be so worked up over such a thing, but it did touch her heart that he cared so much about her.

After a moment, she let him go, and to her ever-increasing horror, he held her hands in his. It was as if he was trying to comfort her or soften a blow. That scared her more than the soft smile he was giving her, and Serena wanted to toss his hands away and run for the hills.

"Why were you tortured?"

Is it just me or did his eyes just darken with bloodlust and he looked maniacal at the need to kill someone? Serena narrowed her eyes at the malice and hatred burning in his gaze and took solace that it was not directed at her. "I don't know."

Kalani looked at her like she was deliberately hiding information. "There must have been a reason."

The desire to toss his hands off her returned as Serena felt herself become frantic little by little. "I do not know! I was having sitting down with my family during a ball, and I was soon drugged by my twin. When I came too, I was being tortured. I would like to believe it wasn't Loras's or Senku's desire to see me harmed but I don't know what to think anymore. I was then robbed of my sight and tongue, and was unable to fight back against any claims as others pinned me for the massacre of the celestial nobility."

It was Kalani's turn to flinch, his eyes wide. The poor boy began to shake like a leaf and his breathing was rapid and almost gasping. His hands grabbed hers with such force that it surprised her that he would do such a thing. It started to hurt, but Serena could tell the physical contact was keeping him stable, and so let him hold on to her as much as he needed.

When he finally spoke, his words carried such an ominous promise to them, that it almost seemed like it came from the lips of the Lord of Lies himself. "I will never hurt you, Serena."

Serena was tempted to point out he was hurting her hands a little in his frightful rage but reined the impulse. There was a huge difference between tempting fate and kicking it in the groin and robbing it of its purse.

"I know, Kali," she said, her voice gentle and coaxing. He relaxed a little at hearing one of his nicknames, and Serena could feel her blood begin to flow back into her hands as his hold lessened. "I have faith in you. I just can't wait to see my old world with my own eyes!"

Kalani fell silent as he let go of her hand. He cradled her cheek, tugging at the baby chubby face that had hints of baby fat still clinging, before stroking it in a daze.

Serena was used to being poked and prodded, and while the sudden caressing was odd, it wasn't unpleasant.

"Do you honestly believe you are in a different world?"

They had never addressed the idea of other worlds or mentioned it leaving her to think that nothing had changed. When one died they would enter the Sea of Souls, a state of existence where they purify themselves and unwind before being reincarnated into another world. There were few mentions of the Sea of Souls or reincarnation either. Instead, people prayed to celestials to take their souls into their service or lands after death.

Such things flew in the face of what she knew so even the smallest of recurring things was ignored. Things like the same pattern of having a twenty-four-hour day, seven days a week, and about fifty-three weeks a year. There were still thirty-one days a month and twelve months a year. The stars were another thing that remained the same while also being unusual and strange. Many of the constellations she knew remained, like the Storyteller's book and the Lord of Oath's chained crown. Others were new like a wilted rose, a raven, and a whirlpool with an eye in the middle among many others. There was only one sun and moon and they rose and set at different times, and time went on.

The differences weren't offputting, but they were more than a little questionable and had reinforced the idea of her being in a different world.

If I wasn't reborn in another world, does that mean I was reborn on my own? If so, how many years had passed?

Kalani let go of her cheek and returned to holding her hands full in his. He gave them a gentle squeeze as if to reassure her, and Serena knew she was not going to like what he was about to say. "I wasn't sure when to tell you this so I asked Marama to avoid the details until I was sure you were stable enough to understand. It's been nine ages since your death, with the tenth having been declared in the year of our birth."

Age? Is that similar to an era or was it something else? If going by centuries it would have been a few thousand years at the maximum between my lives. Confusion, and no small amount of fear, flooded her mind and threatened to overtake her at the idea of being in the same world but having witnessed little to no trace of her kind's greatness. If it's been such a long time, does that mean we were truly wiped out? There should have been many others who reincarnated, with or without memories...

All thought ground to a halt as she spiraled onto the main reason why Corpseborns were so feared by celestials and by extension most other sentient species. Every celestial could reincarnate and be reborn in another world, while those who were stronger or the pinnacle of their race could incarnate. The difference between the two rebirth styles was one didn't retain personal memories and most knowledge or affinities, while the other did. The celestial's power was tied to their enduring and even regenerative and adaptive souls and it constantly grew stronger and improved. Even the weakest member could ascend to the pinnacle in their next life while those at the top could fall.

Corpseborns had a natural affinity for soul magic and manipulation and often could even devour souls, energy sources, and other beings, growing stronger in the process. Serena had never done such a thing, but the nearly black blood in her veins proved that she could use the Heart of Darkness.

To disrupt or corrupt the soul of a celestial, let alone devour it, was unnerving but it would explain why Senku was working with them. It made the betrayal worse and brought up other questions. Ones she dared not even think of regarding why her closest loved ones would do such a thing and allow her to suffer on top of it.

"Tell me about these Ages!" Serena demanded. Her voice trembled with her erratic emotions, each one clawing at each other for dominance.

Kalani nodded his head and began his tale. "Each Age begins with a world-changing series of events. After which, no matter how long it takes, what follows is a time of chaos and unrest known as the Abyssal Era. When the world returns to some level of peace and prosperity, it is known as the Hallowed Era. From there the cycle repeats."

Some events around the time of my kind's genocide started a cycle of repeating horrors. It could be seen as the natural reaction of the multiverse to the sudden loss of lives, mana, knowledge, and celestials. I will need more to form a better understanding. Such thoughts were calming and soothing to the parts of her mind that we're not freaking out.

"The First Age was brought forth by the mass creation and birth of monsters, creatures, spirits, animals, and non-human species spoken through the dying curse of a young woman who lost everything. It was the end of the age of the ancients, and the beginning of the Colored Celestials or Pantheons as they are called now. Not much is known about the diner details of the era here except it could be considered the start of modern history. During the Hallowed Monster Era, the reinvention of tools allowed civilization to abandon the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Sentient life began to reform towns and villages that soon developed into kingdoms. Basic sciences and simple metallurgy were born. Everything ended as the development of tools was abandoned in favor of forging weapons, causing the era to descend into bloodstained madness."

None of that sounded good and it seemed to be too connected to her for her liking. Serena was pretty damn sure she didn't curse all of the existence out of spite, though she would have been justified in doing so.

Kalani finished his summary of the First Age with a helpless shrug and soft smile. "Based on your testimony and information, I have concluded that you are the one history and legend speaks of. That you are Pandora, the Mother of Monsters."

What the hell is with that epitaph and why are your eyes shining like you just saw a living legend, dearest brother?