“She’s come back to us!”

“In other words, us is where she’s come back!”

The young woman shook her head, rubbed her eyes, and repeatedly blinked before recognizing the two priestesses. She has returned at the present time, finding herself still in the chamber.

“Tell me if any of you is Laizidana,” the young woman said as she pointed at both priestesses.

“No, mistress,” the two priestesses responded in unison, “Who is Laizidana anyway?”

“Then how’d you discover this Forbidden Chamber?!”

“Because they’ve been trying to find dirt on me, Lady Cashera!”

A male voice was heard from the door. It was the Great Priest who has entered the chamber. Enraged, he went over to the new avatar's side and scolded the two priestesses without any delay.

“Why bring Lady Cashera in the Forbidden Chamber?! What part of forbidden don’t you understand, huh?! Pray tell!”

The two priestesses looked at each other, and then responded to their superior together.

“You’re the one who’s got a lot of explaining to do, Great Priest. For years, the Order has suspected your clandestine activities on these parts, so they sent us to spy on you. Granted! But what do you have to hide?! Now, the key to the puzzle goes right in front of us!”

“Heh. You two think you’ve pinned me down? We’re the only ones remaining in the former Order. I’m confident the ones who ordered you to spy on me are gone. Too late the heroines!”

“Maybe so, but we can still swing the Order’s support for your leadership. If you don’t make sense of what the Forbidden Chamber holds, we’re sure to have you removed in a fortnight!”

The Great Priest quickly reached for the nearby drawer and brought out a sword. It was not the sharpest of swords, but it has much rust that can also be as lethal as any blade. The metal appears sturdy enough as the old cleric swings it in front of him to ward off the priestesses.

With his free hand, he motions for the young woman to stay back. Meanwhile, the priestesses drew out daggers from their cloaks. In comparison with the Great Priest’s sword, the daggers’ blades are in better condition. They reflect so much they can alternately be used as mirrors.

“You’re outnumbered,” the Priestess of the Sun declared.

“Outnumbered indeed,” the Priestess of the Moon proclaimed.

“But not outmatched!”

The old cleric swings the sword upward, but then a crack can be heard. It was his back, which sudden force gave him pain, as well as locking him in his current position. The priestesses scoffed. They lunged to attack the Great Priest with their daggers. However, before their blades can even reach the target, they froze upon hearing cracks on the joints of their arms and legs.

“We’re just warming up, old man,” the priestesses bawled, “Just you wait!”

The Great Priest nervously replied, “Oh, really? Cashera’s granting strength only to the just!”

“Speak for yourself,” the priestesses said as they grit their teeth in trying harder to move.

For minutes, their bodies remained frozen, looking like statues depicting a fighting scene. The battle shifted to a war of words. The three exchange oaths and swearing to their goddess, as if forgetting that her avatar is right there witnessing their intensity and creativity in crafting such vows.

“Katheudo…”

A somewhat different voice was heard in the chamber. The priestesses gaped at the sight, but the Great Priest cannot see what they were so amazed about. As he tried to turn around to check, he caught a glimpse of scarlet aura bathing Cashera’s avatar. Then, he realized whose voice it was. The Great Priest felt tense, dropping his sword behind him, as did the priestesses who lost grip of their daggers.

Suddenly, the three of them regained their agility and dexterity. The priestesses kneeled, placed their hands together, and uttered soft praises and prayers. Meanwhile, the old cleric slowly walked towards the seated woman. With tears welling from his eyes, he reached out and collapsed on her feet.

“L-Laizidana…,” the Great Priest stammered as he looked up at the young woman resembling Cashera’s past avatar, “Is… You’ve r-returned… You… You haven’t c-changed… not a bit…”

The transfigured woman did seem like Laizidana, albeit the priestesses were not old enough to actually recognize her despite the existing images of Cashera. Most of her red hair were braided in locks, while some strands flow from her head down to her neck. She dons a white dress bearing patterns along the seams, and contrasts well with her scarlet glow. She reached out her hand, which he took with both hands, and then she spoke.

“Katheudo… Who are you to say which love is valid and legitimate and true?”

“What do you mean?”

“This avatar yearns for love. Why deprive her of this pursuit? Has love abandoned you?”

“N-no! Every day… Every month… Every year… I lived in hopes of experiencing your love again! For you, Laizidana, the promised time will come!”

“Promises are not for humans to make. And definitely not for you, Katheudo.”

The Great Priest was struck, letting go of the young woman’s hand out of his dismay.

“Why?! What haven’t I done to be with you again?!”

The scarlet glow enveloping her waned, and then regained its strength after a few moments. Meanwhile, the cries of the Great Priest overwhelmed the priestesses’ repeated chanting.

Looking down on her wailing lover, the transfigured woman calmly said, “Obedience is better than sacrifice, Katheudo. You sacrificed much. And yet, for someone who demands obedience from others, you didn’t seem too keen to obey. Did you take my life when I asked you to?”

“How can I…?”

“Did you share the dream I have for us?”

“I always do but…”

“Reflect on your life, Katheudo. What will have you carried on? Our will? Or simply your own?”

“Nothing’s fake about it…”

The Great Priest looked at his frail and trembling hands. At first he can still see them clearly, but then his vision blurred. He gathered all his power to rise up and grab the shining scarlet figure. He grabbed the woman’s neck, and then tightened his grip with every force left in his body. Anger filled his eyes. However, not only was he unable to asphyxiate her, she just glared at him.

“Do you love me,” the woman calmly asked as she lifted her hand to touch her aged lover's face, “more than these?”

The Great Priest’s vision cleared once more, and when he saw the act he was committing, he immediately removed his hands on her neck and gently placed them on the hand touching him.

“I do… You know I love you…”

“Yes, I do, but do you? Now know for certain that she’s not someone selected by the Order,” she replied as she began moving her fingers on his wrinkled face, “You can’t treat her like a trump card hidden in your sleeve.”

“Who are you talking about, Laizidana?”

“You know her as much as I do. Now, a request can you grant?”

“If it’s about killing you twice over…”

“Take me to Telo.”

The Great Priest was stunned, “How’d you know…?!”

“There you go again, Katheudo. You live by sight, but Cashera likes to see you live by faith. Don’t you understand? You’ve always estimated her in your terms, but she’s immeasurable. As you haven’t shared the dream we have, you’ve also rejected Cashera’s vision for tomorrow.”

“P-please… Forgive me… Woe is me, even when I’m your Great Priest, I…”

Her poker face changed to a smiling one, “I always forgive you. Always. Regardless, you’ll still be the Katheudo I loved. But even as you carry on, don’t forget to nurture her while she’s here.”

“Nurture? What does that even mean, Laizidana? You want me to be a babysitter?”

“Funny you’d ask. Had we met in different circumstances, you could’ve still been babysitting. But kidding aside, you’ll know what to do, and when you that time comes, just let it flow.”

The scarlet glow waned once more, and at this instance, it seems to be continually weakening. Her hand lost its strength, as the Great Priest felt it in his own hands. He looked at her with horror. Memories of Laizidana’s demise flooded his mind. The burden began to weigh on him heavily.

“Please carry on, Katheudo...,” were her last words before she lost consciousness, and along with it, the remaining scarlet aura surrounding her body.

The nostalgic elder moved forward to hug her reflexively, but her form does not resemble Laizidana anymore.

Nevertheless, he did not let her go even when his own might was also drained. As for the priestesses, they snapped and stopped their chanting. When they saw the Great Priest being unaware, they imitated their chanting with baby noises while finding things within the chamber to restrain him with, as well as putting their daggers on the ready while they are at it.

“Eww,” the young woman exclaimed after a few sniffs, “it reeks of incense and spa oils!”

The Great Priest hastily removed his hands and kneeled in front of her. When the new avatar realized it was the Great Priest, she felt embarrassed, albeit unknowing that he feels the same.

“Forgive me, Lady Cashera! I violated your holy body! I’ll accept punishment as you see fit!”

The young woman covered herself with her arms and turned away from him.

She exclaimed with a red face, “Merde! What’d you mean violated?! I need details! Now!”

As the priestesses sneaked behind, the Great Priest said, “Please, no need to tie me up.”

“Aww, that’s too bad,” the priestesses responded in unison, “we thought we can use the endless knot on you for a change. But Great Priest, you’re still going to do the explaining!”

The Great Priest stood up, causing the priestesses to be on alert, but they saw him walking to a shelf full of books and scrolls. He took out one of them and opened it.

After a deep and heavy sigh, the old cleric begins, “T’was a tale older than today’s Deiroc, but I remember it just like yesterday. Do you see the murals on these walls? Do you see the pictures imprinted on these scrolls? It was all her work, and what a wonderful artist she was.”

The Great Priest narrates how he worked as an artisan when the Order of Cashera declared the return of their goddess through her new avatar. This would be Laizidana, who turns out to be a conscious and informed choice made by the Order after carefully and secretly screening the island’s inhabitants rather than consulting any prophecy, vision, or dream.

The prescribed process of selection has been bypassed because Deiroc faced a formidable foe across the sea. After the unification of the three peninsulas and the consolidation of their newfound power over Kamui to the east and Carga to the west, Dalreida looked south and saw a plum prize in the Triskaide Archipelago.

Triskaide was a collection of thirteen major islands, namely Deiroc, Phoroc, Ceiros, Orobos, Baros, Nandas, Acaira, Mirae, Zeradi, Lapnos, Yesta, Kendei, and Telo. Each island governs around them smaller islands, islets, and other land formations which are usually visible only during low tide. To maintain their independence, the thirteen islands convened at the first ever Deiroc Conference to form the Triskaidean League, and they elected Deiroc as the head of the alliance.

It was much to the dismay of Telo, which campaigned hard during the process. The leaders of Telo thought that their lack of any sister island in Triskaide would make them the most viable option. Dalreida caught wind of developments in Triskaide, forcing them to accelerate their invasion of the archipelago, but with devastating results. Laizidana, as Cashera’s new avatar, sunk the Dalreidan fleet of 100 ships through a storm, or it was what the Order billed it.

In reality, Dalreida miscalculated the atmospheric conditions and tried to push through. Meanwhile, the Order, being aware of this situation, made it appear in full view of the public that Laizidana conjured divine winds and powerful whirlpools to devour the enemy fleet. This incident solidified Deiroc’s leadership of the Triskaidean League.

“Wait,” the Priestess of the Sun interrupted, “we all know that ancient history, but where do you come in?”

“Come,” the Priestess of the Moon followed, “where do you when we wait all knowing that ancient history?”

The Great Priest brought back the book to the shelf and continued his story. While she may not be as much interested in her new role as avatar, Laizidana proved to be passionate about art. In her free time, she paints almost everything she sets her eyes on. It was also during these periods when she began receiving visions and messages from Cashera herself, even when her selection was actually made by the Order.

However, the Order did not see merit in the revelations she experienced more than in her expeditiousness to their cause. To avoid their destruction, many of her works are preserved in the Forbidden Chamber. This was where the Great Priest, who as an artisan had the name of Katheudo, comes in. In her search of someone who genuinely appreciates her art, Laizidana met Katheudo while he was working on his craft.

On the outside, Katheudo appears to be Laizidana’s requested companion during her art sessions. Behind the Order’s backs, they developed a relationship far beyond friendship. Katheudo had the Forbidden Chamber built as a venue for their secret meetings, and as storage for their mementos, especially those disliked by the Order of Cashera.

It then came to pass that Katheudo, despite his origins being not suited to the Order’s usual requirements for election, was inducted into the Order. However, it was done because the Order’s suspicions heightened against Katheudo. As their member, they figured he can be watched more closely. The last thing the Order wanted was for someone to reveal their botched selection process of Laizidana.

Meanwhile, it took only a few years for Dalreida to recover from their shocking defeat, and Deiroc was put on the spot by the Triskaidean League to deal with an enlarged Dalreidan threat. Cashera’s miracle converted many in Triskaide, as well as people living beyond the thirteen islands, and the Order saw it as yet another opportunity to further expand their coverage and power.

“But Laizidana didn’t want any part of it anymore,” the Great Priest lamented, “She knew better that she’s being used as an instrument of power… But I can’t… I can’t convince her to dissolve her feelings on the matter. I knew if she’s exposed as a fake, the least of her problems is death. If she continues to be the avatar, we can be together… Besides, Cashera did seem to acknowledge her despite the Order’s questionable methods. I just realized how selfish I was…”

“But you also seem to carry out the same motive,” the Priestess of the Sun replied, “Isn’t the promised time about propagating Cashera to the point of saturating the world of her name?”

“The promised time…”

The young woman raised her hand and asked, “Pardon me for asking… what’s going on?!”

The Priestess of the Moon answered, “The position of Great Priest is usually an inherited one, mistress. But as this faux priest now admitted, he’s not the person next in line to succeed.”

“Because that’s Cashera’s wishes,” the Great Priest interrupted, “Even if Laizidana’s selection was a controlled experiment, Cashera recognized her as avatar, and I’m her Great Priest!”

“That remains to be seen,” the Priestess of the Sun yelled back, “Regardless of this Laizidana’s legitimacy, whatever the former avatar's real name is, you violated not one, but two avatars by casually holding them without consent!”

“Consent of whom?! You?! The Order?! I’ve got all the power!”

The new avatar asked once more, “Guys, what’s really going on? How was I violated?!”

The three walked to her and started telling her their versions of the story simultaneously. However, instead of bringing light to what happened, she only heard their voices drowning each other. There is nothing to comprehensible in their words.

Thus, she put her hands in front of her and said, “Okay, stop. I don’t know what’s up, but I see that you’ve some serious issues to deal with. I say, why not put them all behind you? Like, it’s all in the past already. You’re never going to move forward if you keep looking back.”

“But mistress, the Great Priest has to be accountable,” the priestesses responded while pointing at the old cleric, “He almost killed you, and who knows if his story with the last avatar has any truth? What if he’s killed her, too? This loveless man has to be prosecuted.”

“That’s gone far enough!”, the Great Priest thundered as he stomped one of his feet, “You dare accuse me of killing Laizidana, my love?! And then what?! To elevate myself in rank?! I tell you, had she not given me this task, I’d have died with her! Do you know how it feels to…?!”

“Oh, bother,” the young woman interjected as she put her hands on her hips, “Do you want me to help or not? Am I not Cashera’s avatar that you ignore me in lieu of your personal disputes?”

The three turned to her and profusely apologized for their behavior.

She continued, “What I know is the goddess brought me here for a purpose, but what I don’t know is what that particular purpose is. I thought you’re supposed to be helping me in fulfilling this avatar role… Now I’m more suspicious than ever. Is this just a whole set being presented like a reality show or something? Like Big Brother? Honestly, is this avatar thing just a hoax?”

“How could you say so, my lady,” the Great Priest gasped, “we’re devoted to you ever since!”

The priestesses followed up, “Indeed, mistress! We sift our traditions straight from the texts!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know all that jazz already. But if Laizidana’s story was true, how can I be so sure I’m not your new pawn for revenge or anything else? How can I trust any of you?! Tell me! Aren’t you exploiting this island’s resources for your political and economic gain?!”

The three looked down. They felt their goddess piercing through and looking in their hearts. Silence reigned in the chamber for a while as the young woman gazed at them with suspicion. Indeed, the Order of Cashera seemed to have reached a new low with the timely and careful selection of Laizidana to forward their non-religious pursuits, but is it still the issue now?

“It’s true, my lady…,” the Great Priest finally spoke up but with a trembling voice, “the Order has had its hand on other things… An inevitable state of affairs for a formerly theocratic nation now colonized by a dysfunctional democracy… But please know that my devotion, our devotion, isn’t for show! The promised time, it’s all about the rebirth of this world…”

“Yeah, about that…,” the new avatar asked as she crossed her legs, “what’s in it anyway?”

The old cleric looked at the priestesses first before replying, “As you know, my lady, people get reincarnated to the world once their immediate past life dies. You, as Cashera’s avatar, have a very different cycle. It’s connected more to this world’s life, if that’s a simple way to put it.”

“I guess that makes sense. As you said, Laizidana, whoever she is, died many years ago.”

“Y-yes, my lady… Where was I? Ah, the cycle… There are many promised times as there are avatars, each one corresponding to a prophecy in our sacred texts,” the Great Priest continued as his mind began to operate like clockwork after being triggered by Laizidana’s name, “It’s said that in our generation, the next appearance of Cashera would fill the world of her glory, and the world shall be ultimately reborn under her name. Our superiors thought they could accelerate the process by selecting her avatar in advance, in advance of the Dalreidan invasion, but… No, it wasn’t meant to be. They had to erase the fake avatar from the sacred texts and replace her story with a passing reference to the time we lost our independence. In reality, it’s Deiroc’s greed that led it to stumble and slip.”

“What do you mean fill the world?”

“It is what it is, but we interpreted the prophecy as the physical triumph of Cashera over the world… That she’d become the goddess of the people all over the world.”

“Are you saying that’s my destiny? To be at the top of the world?!”

“I believe so, my lady… We all do. We’re going to help with all of our spirit and might.”

“But how’s that going to be possible?! I can’t even tap into Cashera’s power or whatever!”

“Yes, we can see that, and even we don’t know why, but only when you try voluntarily. Cashera’s power already manifests in you when she chooses to, and that’s a good indicator of things to come, my lady. And I believe, you can try doing so once more in Telo.”

“Telo? The one you say is Deiroc’s rival island? Why should I go there? To get myself killed?”

The Great Priest was puzzled, “You don’t remember, my lady? You ordered me to take you…”

“Oh no, I didn’t! You don’t do those mind conditioning games again,” the new avatar answered as she shook her head, “If this Forbidden Chamber’s no good, what else is?!”

“Telo’s Oracle is challenging the hold of Cashera in Triskaide. My lady, the goddess must have seen this as an opportunity to prove her superiority. Even I’m excited to see how this unfolds!”

“Maybe, but this oracle’s none of my business, right? I mean, don’t have I more goddess duties to…?”

“I already sent 72 ahead of us.”

The young woman gasped and softly muttered, “Sweet Mask?”

“What is sweet, my lady?”

“I said, what are we waiting for?!”, she wailed as she got up with enthusiasm and leaped towards one of the chamber’s doors, “Great Priest, come, let’s go to Telo!”

The old cleric motioned to the priestesses to guide her out, albeit it took time for them to actually get up since the prolonged kneeling made their frail legs numb. Yet before following them, he looked back at the Forbidden Chamber with a forced smile and unforced tear.

As he saw her excitement upon the mention of Number 72, he sighed, “She may be Cashera’s avatar, but she’s still a youthful spirit… Am I standing in their way as the Order once did to us?”

After a battery of preparations for the imminent journey, Deiroc was festive as they send off their goddess against the Oracle of Telo. The entourage itself was nowhere near small as three large ships embark from the port. Since the return of Cashera is no longer a secret, they cannot take risks in keeping her security detail less than tight, but for the young woman herself, she ignored much of the Secret Ops and chose to admire the sights. It has been long since she first met her Sweet Mask, and her heart begins to agree that Telo clears the path for her inner pursuit.

Of course, if it is in line with Cashera’s will, it remains to be seen. Meanwhile, why did the Teloi have an oracle? What is the promised time’s promise? How was Laizidana even channeled?