Denying the prompt was out of the question. It was why she had come here after all.

The resulting vertigo wasn’t unexpected either. None of what she was currently experiencing was unexpected.

That didn’t mean that she wasn’t deeply uncomfortable, feeling a pressure inside her body pushing outwards, though somehow there was a pressure pushing back.

Until it reached a sort of equilibrium. A very uncomfortable one.

She knew that she wasn’t supposed to open her eyes because that could be disturbing. Headless of the warnings and due to curiosity and her instincts, which both screamed at her, she opened her eyes to take in her surroundings.

Quickly she confirmed that she was still sitting in a chair though she couldn’t feel it. The all-encompassing pressure stronger than the sensation of touch.

That minor surprise didn’t upset her nearly as much as the rest she was seeing now.

The moment her eyes had opened something fast and pearly white approached with a mind-boggling speed from the vast void she was occupying.

The silhouette of a person stood in front of her. The white glow of its skin was a stark contrast against the emptiness of the void surrounding her.

And it was slowly receding down.

Only then did it hit her. There was nothing pulling her down, she was drifting away from her chair couldn’t even grasp it anymore. Couldn’t even move her fingers.

Until a vibration reverberated through her whole being.

Greetings Applicant! Voice your desires and maybe we can resolve the choke point in your progress.

And even though no lips moved and her ears registered no speech she knew that the being in front of her had spoken to her.

So she stared in wonder at her opposite. In terror too, but she wouldn’t admit to that, ever.

Name your inquiry.

What should she respond with? Her mind blank from all the different thoughts streaming through her head. She couldn’t remember.

Trying to calm down she tried breathing in and out deeply. It didn’t work.

She panicked for another brief moment until she realized that she also didn’t seem to be suffocating.

Calm down, Liana. You got this, just think. But even her internal bolstering couldn’t help her regain her measure.

In the end, after several long minutes, she had regained her calm. Thinking back to the times when just floating in a shallow lake outside the town.

The sensation of floating in the water was close enough to what she was experiencing now. Allowing her to imagine drifting on a lake.

While not nearly as disorientating as her current circumstances she could place herself into the water with closed eyes.

“I… I would like to inquire about my… my Trait,” she began hesitantly.

What about it.

“What does it do?” Liana blurted out. Not able to contain herself any longer. She wanted to know what boon the gods had thrown her way.

You are in Rhythm with the world.

And she could almost feel the bafflement in the response. Though she couldn’t quite place by what the creature was baffled. Her lack of knowledge or the trait itself.

Please let it be the former. I really want a useful trait. And with those thoughts, a slight frown appeared on her face.

But even after some wait no further information was forthcoming.

Are you satisfied with the received answer? If so you shall be released into your body.

“No wait, could you maybe elaborate, because I don’t know what that means. What does it offer me?” but her courage was feining. She had been slightly scared initially and been told that the keepers were helpful and considerate. So far she had felt neither.

Your trait is what it is and you will discover more in due time.

It doesn’t offer you anything. Not all traits solicit abilities. Some just make you aware of what you are already capable of.

“So I will gain nothing from my trait. Is it useless? What do you mean it makes me aware of what I am capable of?” redness slowly appearing on her face. Anger slowly bubbling up, though she suppressed it.

She knew it was unjustified and pointless. Keepers weren’t emotional creatures and didn’t care for the emotions of humans. It was just so disheartening to have your expectations - set by others - shattered like that.

It just means that you will receive your next trait earlier than most.

To alleviate some of your worries. Your trait is a good one. Many previous holders have gone far in life through it. Further than you can imagine.

Now leave.

And with that, she felt a surreal tug on her body. The pressure that had slowly dissipated reappearing and dragging her inward. Downward. And towards something familiar.

She knew what it was the moment the tug subsided. It was her body. She felt herself be inserted back into her body. Her lung heaving again, and her heartbeat picking up.

Her fingers tingled and she wiggled them in response.

She was unsatisfied. And hope of a grand future, something greater than what her parents lived, had been almost snuffed out completely.

There was still hope though. The last few words of the keeper were echoing through her mind. And she was almost convinced that the keeper was wrong. She could imagine everything.

She repeated the last few sentences the keeper had intoned into her in her mind.

She did find some relief in the words “Your trait is a good one.” and while she didn’t experience the trust of the grown-ups into the keepers, she would trust her parents’ words for now.

So she didn’t treat an untrotten path. “Many previous holders have gone far in life through it” implied as much. And that tended to be a good thing. Because the keepers only knew what humans knew. So being on a new path meant no further information.

So the real question that remained was twofold. What did her trait actually do and what could be further than being a princess or even a queen. “Further than you can imagine.” tickled something in her mind but she was interrupted by her father.

“Welcome back Liana, how did it go, are you alright?” he asked.

“I am fine I think, thank you. I don’t know how it went, they didn’t really clear anything up. Just repeated what the title says, for the most part,” she said after giving herself a quick once over. Looking for signs of shock or trauma as they thought in school.

“That’s unhelpful. So you didn’t figure out what it actually does?” the curious expression on her father's face hurt a bit. Reminding her of her own curiosity, she had felt just a few minutes ago.

“If only I knew. The keeper was very cryptic and not helpful at all. Very unlike how Mr. Tosien and you guys described them,” Liana responded, a tear appearing in the corner of her eye. I am grown up, no crying anymore, she told herself and pressed the tear away. “They said I would figure it out.

“We’ll figure it out. Let’s head home for dinner first.”