Awakened I

Palace of New Existences, the Mausoleum

There's this feeling when one wakes up from a long nap that they can't describe. A mixture of exhaustion, sweat, and annoyance, with a tinge of ease. When Adel woke up, this was almost exactly how he felt. Though he was neither sweaty nor exhausted but irritated by how his surroundings were still dark. Adel yawned, stretching his numb legs out and sat up. Thawk! His head slammed against a cold hard barrier.

A stone ceiling.

Out of annoyance, he gathered mana in his hands and hit the ceiling, shattering it into large chunks, and for the first time in a while - at least that was what it felt like - he saw light.

"Your highness!" a voice yelped, and Adel whipped his head around to see a young maid, as well a dozen men, guards perhaps, staring at him.

"Who are you…where's Janis?" he warily glanced back and forth between them.

Janis - a lesser wind spirit - was his personal attendant, who had attended to him ever since he met her and her brother in the forest two centuries ago.

She was always around him, it made no sense for her to not be-

It seems he forget.

Janis was dead.

He had killed her, Adel realized. Dimor had warned him before, to not act recklessly when using his illusionary boundary. He did it anyway, forgetting the threats and dangers it could bring to his surroundings. Centuries of friendship, gone in just a few months, and it was all because of him.

But what about his mana veins? Weren't they disrupted during his duel with Dimor? Wasn't he supposed to be…dead?

The maid scurried out of the door, dragging another maid with her. "HIS HIGHNESS IS AWAKE! THE LORD IS AWAKE!"

"I-eh?" Adel blinked. Oh. He had just woken up from a recovery.

How long was it? A dozen years? A century? Perhaps a millennium?

No…it shouldn't be. If it had been a millennium, his brother's lousy and inferior architecture taste would've improved.

Now that Adel had gained consciousness, all previous energy and strength he used to blast the stone wall earlier had nearly left and he limply fell.

A group of healers came bursting in, accompanied by two maids. They shrieked loudly, "Your highness! My Lord, you have awoken!"

They fussed around him and crowded around his open coffin while he desperately tried to hide.

At last, Adel gathered his stability and sat up. "I have awoken." he flatly stated.

A nymph amongst the healers rejoiced. "Yes, yes! You have, my Lord! Your highness, his highness…" she muttered his title one after another. Adel slowly reached up to touch his neck, his hand shaking, then his pointed ears - then hair. It was shorter by a few fingers. He glanced down at his clothes. Men's garments.

…have they realized?

Wait, who changed his clothes?!

'Oh, shit' he cursed internally, sucking in a breath before turning to the overjoyed healers. "Artin."

The nymph immediately guessed and hollered the other servants and knights. "His highness wishes to speak to the Lord of New Existences!"

And that was how Adel found himself recovered and celebrated: overall, joyful but confused at the sudden change in his 200 years plus life.

Once again, he limply fell down - though this time, unconscious.

Palace of a Thousand Melodies, the Viridescent Chamber

Adel twisted uncomfortably, flipping the pillow and rubbing his face against the cool side - which wasn't cool enough. He grumbled groggily and tossed his blanket away.

"Brother…Dimor," he murmured, ignoring the baffled gazes of the elemental spirits just outside the window. They pressed their orb-like bodies against the stained glass. Yyyour highnesss, they seem to mouth. Lord Artin is not here. Lord Dimor isss-

Adel opened his left eye and glared at the spirit, receiving a muffled shriek from it. With a raise of his finger, he cast a spell to soundproof the room and went back to sleep. After a while, the entrance was kicked open, and a group of knights rushed in. Since the room was soundproofed, they must've heard nothing and become wearied.

Though it made no sense for them to break his door, burst into his private chamber - fully armed.

Adel tried not to lose his composure.

"Sirs…I can protect myself," he said matter-of-factly. They nodded but didn't seem to believe his words. He sighed, shaking his head, then hummed. As the melody played, a knight tripped over another's feet, and they all fell on top of each other.

"See?"

A gentle voice giggled. "Alright, Lord Adel," the dainty woman gestured towards the tumbled knights. "Your concern is appreciated, however, Lord Adel should be able to defend himself. He's stronger than most war gods after all."

"N-nevertheless, the Lord had-"

"Sir, are you doubting the Lady's words?" Adel tilted his head. The knight bowed, "Never! I-I'll take my leave, now."

As the knights left, grumbling and dejected, he couldn't help but imagine them as stiff, moving blocks of wood. The Fae turned to the lady and smiled. "It's been a while, Lady Delphis."

Delphis laughed, "It's been a decade, you meant?"

"A decade…" Adel sighed, "Seems longer than ever."

The lady glanced at the window. "Mhm, I know what you mean."

She rested her hands on his shoulder, then trailed down to his wrist to check his pulse, then mana veins, and only released her grip after she concluded he was fine.

Delphis was the Goddess of Purity and Healing, as well as virginity and faith.. As a human-nymph hybrid, Delphis grew up alongside the two barriers and had witnessed the glories of both realms. Her tribe, the Dews - a species of river nymphs - were renowned for their talent in the art of healing, and taught her all that they knew. Delphis ascended as a deity after she successfully resurrected the Late Wind God - and ever since, vowed to remain a maiden and continue assisting those with pure faith or those who wish to save others

Delphis' voice was still laced with worry. "Lord Adel, how are you?"

Adel shifted uncomfortably, "I have woken up, my body is fine."

"How are you?" she asked again, her gaze piercing through him.

He was fine, was what Adel liked to think. And no, he was not.

"…Where is my brother?"

Delphis sighed, "Lord Artin is away. He is meeting the Guardians of the Barriers; though for what reason, I do not know. I believe the news of your recovery has reached him, so do not worry Lord Adel, he should return soon."

"The Guardians? Is there a problem with the Barriers?" he wrinkled his forehead.

To forbid humans from wandering into the Divine realm, or for Beasts to wander into the realm of Chaos, four barriers between the realms were constructed: each one of them overlooked by a Guardian.

They rarely met up, and would avoid contact with one another; sometimes even for centuries!

"I…do not know," Delphis sighed, rubbing her temples. "Lord Adel, you shouldn't worry too much. It's not good for a patient."

"Not a patient." Adel corrected, "I have recovered."

The truth was, his deep sleep wasn't a coma, and his body only became unconscious to recover his mana veins. Now that he had woken up, Adel was as good as new.

"Was a patient," the goddess countered, smiling sweetly. "With a decade-long recovery."

There was no way Adel could talk back, so he kept only silently turned away. Delphis stared at him for a few seconds, before standing up to leave.

"You have recovered." she announced, but her voice sounded unsure. The goddess nodded her head, before slowly walking up to the door, her white silk dress dancing with each step she took. She lightly pushed the door open, before glimpsing back at him. "Anything discomfort? Do you need me to stay?" she said in a timid voice.

"The examination is over, Lady Delphis. I would feel guilty for taking up your time."

Delphis' gaze fell. "I see…then, take care."

And with that, she left.

Adel wasn't too oblivious, he knew the goddess still held feelings for him. Ever since she discovered he was a man, Delphis had begun to become wary of him.

For their first few meetings after, she began to initiate conversations with him - whether it be about politics in the mortal realm, or trivial things; such as her favorite beverages. She started to volunteer for missions with him and personally asked the Sovereign to allow her residence in the divine realm to be moved near him.

"Lest something happen," was her reason.

A few months later, she confessed. During that time, Delphis was not yet a maiden.

But Adel didn't need to reject her himself - Dimor did it for him.

Only after he asked her to remain as friends did the goddess vow to become a maiden.

He still had lingering pity and horror at the sight of her almost-always cheerful expression turning into one of a wilting lily, but nevertheless, still pretty. Other than the fact that Delphis was pleasant to be around, he didn't think much about her.

Though she had left, Delphis' "How are you?" continued through his mind.

How was he?

Adel chuckled out loud, "I also want to ask myself that,"

He thought about Janis, who he could only now see in his memories. Her body was never recovered, never found, though traces of her still lingered deep in him. His memories of Janis flickered to Dimor, who was still here; though Adel wasn't sure if he could see him again. Maybe in a few decades, maybe never.

…He was still so tired.