Aphia was in a large mansion. The ceilings were high and the smell of freshly cooked food was just a room away, a hint of steak and a plethora of sauces; mustard, umami, shallots, ketchup, and stock. The smell sent grumbles to Aphia’s stomach. Who could stomach such a monstrous mix of sauces? There were far too many for a normal person. A pig would have an easier time with this than a human. She touched her stomach as she felt it churn and was met with oddly smooth worn cotton that seemed to ruffle. 

Aphia looked down to see a starched collar as her gaze dropped lower. She was wearing an outfit that was black and white with a lot of ruffling lace. An apron over her outfit. She looked around the room as everything registered once more. 

She was a maid at a mansion. She racked her brain for details but came up empty, she couldn’t seem to remember where she was. She couldn’t remember anything now that she thought of it. She did understand one thing however, whoever she was serving really had a thing for maids, this dress was entirely impractical. The bottoms came up to her knees and made movement more difficult than it ever needed to be. 

She decided to find out as she began moving through the house. The doors she passed were made of oak each looking heavy and imposing. The windows let in sunlight, each ray laden with dust motes, filtering the room in hazy golden glow. The windows were outlined with glistening oak frames speaking of the fresh cleaning they have received despite the house being empty. Empty, or presumably empty? Aphia slowed to a stop as she listened. 

The silence was deafening, Aphia kept glancing around at the house, her heels making soft clicks on the mahogany floors as she began walking once more. The floors were nice, they complimented the walls made of the same material. The entire house felt large and empty, seeming to trap Aphia inside it, despite the open windows she felt as though she was being suffocated within a cage. Restrained movement, like a swan sheathed and put on display to an empty zoo. 

She looked up at the impossibly high ceiling that her footsteps seemed to echo from. Each step amplifying and echoing loudly through the empty house. She felt alone with only the too loud silence and smell of fresh food. She didn’t know where she was or what she was doing. She scurried further down the corridor and found herself faced with portraits on either side, each with faces that had stern expressions but none that she could make out the features of. She could feel the emotion they conveyed but she failed whenever she attempted to look at their distinguishing features. 

She felt panic rise in her stomach that seemed to encompass her whole body. She pushed through the overwhelming goosebumps and broke into a sprint down the hall as she wheeled the corridor and found herself face to face with a mirror. 

A primary garment made of black cotton with a white apron resting over it. The apron was tied to the dress at the shoulders with frills and lace and was overtaken by the black dress at the knees. White tights covered the rest and served as socks under black heels. 

Aphia tried to raise her gaze to look at herself in the mirror but couldn’t. She couldn’t see who she was, she didn’t know who she was, she didn’t, she really didn’t, did she? She tried to breathe slower, help her beating heart take a calm breath so she could think clearly. She felt suffocated, the feeling from earlier returning a new. 

She heard a steady beeping in her ear. It was steady, she focused on it trying to match her breaths to it. The beeping sounded like something from a hospital. Why would a hospital be in an empty mansion with only herself in it? Was she in the mansion? She was- 

“As far as we can tell there's nothing physically wrong with her.” 

It was a voice that seemed strained, talking to a superior perhaps? A hint of bewilderment and excitement but also tired. Someone who seemed genuinely interested in the situation but is at the end of a long day and just doesn't care as much as she did at the start of the day,

 “It could be an induced coma but the girl doesn't seem to have been injected with something.”

A deeper and gruffer voice rang out, authority, “What about recreational drugs? Maybe she overdosed?” 

The first voice replied, with latent annoyance, “Dr. Leo, like it says in the report, her tox screen was clear.”

Dr Leo let out a sigh before he stepped forwards and attempted to touch the girl. She shrank back and threw her hand up to protect herself, “Wh-what?”

That's when Aphia realised that she was the girl. 

Dr. Leo and his accomplice looked just as shocked as Aphia felt, “I thought you said she was in a coma?” The question was directed towards the nurse, who had a name tag that read “Elizabeth” which Aphia could see now that her eyes were stretched to their limits. 

“She was!” 

“Clearly she isn’t anymore!” 

The two continued to bicker as Aphia looked around the room. The walls were made of wood with patterns resembling winding tree branches. She was on a stretcher and it wasn’t the only stretcher. She could see opaque walls on either side of her letting her see other stretchers on other sides. 

A stark contrast to the deafening silence of what she now knew to be a dream was the whirring devices. On her left was a heart monitor that beeped and displayed jagged green lines, she didn’t know what the lines meant but there were numbers too. 

As she tried to sit up she felt a small pull and prick on her arm which she attributed to the tube breaking skin into her arm. She looked up to ask a question only to see Dr. Leo and the nurse are still arguing. 

“ENOUGH!” she shocked herself with that just as much as the other two, “Where am I?” 

Dr Leo seemed to blubber, evidently he was not used to being spoken to in such a brutal manner. Elizabeth regained her composure far quicker. 

“Ma'am you are in the Arkyenthea Church’s medical bay.”

Aphia looked around once more, she saw symbols of a woman sitting on an extravagant golden throne flanked by two more of equal extravagance spread all over the room. 

“That is our patron goddess, Leniver Arkyenthea.” 

Aphia’s eyes widened at that name and she raised her hand to her hand as she felt a pang of pain. “Leniver…”

“The Belief of Eden is a new coming on our continent, it is as young here as our nation but the belief is strong in the goddess and the mother.”

“Ah.…..yes, I-I know of it.” Oddly, despite not remembering a lot she remembered this, “Is it possible, can I get some fresh air?”

Dr Leo finally seemed to have regained the ability to speak, “There is nothing physically wrong with you, so I do not see why not. However, it would be best if Elizabeth went with you.”

Elizabeth’s head flew to glare at Dr. Leo who kept his eyes focused on the Three Thrones above Aphia’s bed with a most queer expression masking his face. 

“I do not need an escort.”

Elizabeth regained her professional composure before responding, “It is no bother.”

“If you insist”

Elizabeth led Aphia through the church, passing many portraits and symbols that seemed to hold some meaning but the blonde’s head was elsewhere. Eventually they passed the prayer room and Aphia paused before sneaking a peak in.

There were many seats on either side of her forming a walkway to the dais with three thrones sitting in front of a tree, the thrones were clearly made to mimic the ones in the symbols. 

Above the tree and thrones was a portrait featuring a woman who made Aphia’s heart stop beating. “Is that-”

Elizabeth stood beside Aphia as she stared, “That's Leniver Arkyenthea.”

Raven black hair fell down past her shoulders and framed her face; Pale skin with thin pink lips and teal eyes that seemed to see through Aphia. Judging her by the air she carried. 

Aphia felt a rush of memories flow through her. 

The Church of Arkyenthea was formed on this continent a decade back; after Leniver Arkyenthea incited a rebellion to overthrow the Three Brothers and converted the continent to the Belief of Eden.

She had learned that outside of Antheria the Belief of the Tree was unyielding and never questioned, that the Eleven were active there moving through the people and bestowing blessings on their people. 

The Belief was that Leniver Arkyenthea was one of the eleven and was worshipped as the patron goddess of Antheria. But that was all in the past. Nearly two decades ago, Leniver had yielded her power and stepped away. 

Aphia looked at the portrait before her, into the teal eyes that stared emotionlessly back at her and could not shake the feeling that she had seen them before. 

Aphia could not lie, if she had to worship a person she would not complain if that person was half as beautiful as Leniver Arkyenthea.