Damon was silent for a moment. “Yes, it is.”
“Really?!” She felt ecstatic upon hearing what he said.
“Yes, but not the one you expect. You see, in our world there are three cycles of life: Essence, Vessel, and Destiny. When I said revival is possible, what I mean is that the essence is alive but not the vessel. Someone's Essence can still linger even if the vessel is long gone.” He explained.
“Oh, so you’re saying they are alive but only in spirit.” Aster was disappointed. She thought that she could bring her parents back.
“Well, to us, essence is life itself that inhabits a body. So if someone’s essence transfers to another body, then they return to life.”
“Oh, so like reincarnation?” Aster asked to confirm.
“Yes, it’s like that, but you don’t get to do it by yourself. You would need the gods to reincarnate you by passing their judgment. Only then do you get a chance to be reincarnated."
Aster looked sad and conflicted when he said the gods could only help her.
Damon was contemplating whether to ask something sensitive or not to a stranger he had just met. But he still asked anyway. “If you don’t mind me asking, who do you want to get revived? It’s alright if you don’t want to answer.”
Aster paused for a moment before answering, “My parents. They died in a car accident. Ever since then, after I recovered, it feels like the world has turned upside down. Suddenly, I have a lot of burdens to carry. I need to manage my family's assets, take care of my younger sister, and to hope that my brother will soon wake up.” Aster suddenly burst into tears.
Damon wants to comfort her but doesn't know how. “I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine what you are going through.”
“I’m sorry if I suddenly cried.” She said while wiping her tears, trying to stop herself from crying.
“No worries. Losing two of the most important people in your life at the same time is not easy. If you want to cry it out, it’s fine, but definitely not here.” Damon came back to reality that the forest was very dangerous. ”We need to get moving. I’m afraid that the beast that attacked me was still nearby, and I don’t want anything to happen to us, to you.” He said worriedly.
“You’re right. My younger sister was still waiting for me back home.” She said while wiping her tears.
Damon gave her his handkerchief. “Here, you can wipe your tears with this.”
“T-Thank you…” She used Damon’s handkerchief. “So how do we get out of here?”
Without explaining it to her, Damon raised his hand and made a circular motion while chanting. “Luar Vestetu Duvria, Septir Ergusari!” Then a flying serpent suddenly burst out of the magic circle and let out a roar up in the sky.
“Whoa!” Aster was astonished at what she was seeing. This is her first time seeing an actual creature. “That was amazing! I only see them in movies! Are we gonna ride that?!” She said excitedly.
“Yes, we are. I hope you are okay with it.” He looked at Aster, who was visibly excited, a reaction only people who have not seen such a creature before would have. The serpent flew on the ground, waiting for them to hop on. Damon extended his arm towards Aster. “Let’s go?”
Aster excitedly took Damon's hand, and he helped Aster to get up on the serpent. She can’t believe she was riding an actual mythical creature. “I hope you’re not afraid of heights.” Said Damon.
“Don’t worry. My office was located at the top of the building, and I would often look out from it. So you can go as high as you can!” She said eagerly.
“Well, if you’re ready, we are going to fly now. Hold on tight, or you are going to fall.” Damon smiled at her and ordered the serpent to fly. The serpent quickly rose towards the sky.
Aster screamed. “I feel like I’m riding a roller coaster!” She exclaimed
“What is a roller coaster?” Damon asked curiously.
Aster tried her best to explain what a roller coaster is to Damon. “It’s a kind of amusement ride where people pay to ride it. It has many pairs of chairs that are connected. And when everything's ready, it will start zooming. And if you think about it, it’s kinda like a serpent, but it's not actually a serpent. I really can’t explain what exactly it is, so just use your imagination.”
“I see. It seems like your world has many interesting things. I hope one day I can ride one of those.”
“If we can go back to my world. But how do I come back, though?” Aster asks.
“There are many ways to get back depending on how you got here. Since you seem to have gotten here by accident, any high priest or priestess can help you get back.”
“I see. So where can we find them?” She wants to know how she can get back.
“Every kingdom has one, and they are always located at the capital. But first we need to check in at an inn to sleep for the night. We can start heading to the capital tomorrow.” He said seriously.
Aster noticed that Damon’s mood changed, but she didn’t bother to ask why. Soon they reached a village and landed in an open area.
“Let’s look for an inn,” Damon said as they both roamed the streets.
Aster was astonished, looking at the building as if she were living a fantasy life that she used to watch.
“I wish I could take pictures. I bet Lara will love this kind of place.”
They both finally found an inn and entered.
“Welcome, sir and madam. What can I help you with?” The receptionist greeted them both.
“We want to check in to a separate room to stay the night.”
“That would be two silver coins each, sir,” The receptionist said with a smile on her face.
“I don’t have my money right now. I will need to send a letter back home so they can give me money. Can I pay tomorrow morning? He said with a serious face.
Aster was shocked when she heard Damon didn’t have money yet boldly asked if he could pay later. “Wow,” she said to herself.
“But how do I know that you would actually pay?” She was wondering if he was trying to trick her into staying for free.
Instead of answering, Damon showed an emblem to the receptionist, and she immediately gasped in shock. “Is-Is that real?” she asked.
“See it for yourself.” Damon let the receptionist hold his emblem.
Even though Aster doesn’t know what’s happening, she can see that the receptionist was in awe at the sight of the emblem. Aster was curious about what was special about it. After the receptionist confirms its authenticity, she gives them both a key to their room.
“Sadly, the two available rooms are far from each other. One is at B1, and one is at B4.”
“It’s alright; it’s only for tonight. Let’s go now, Aster.” Damon didn’t wait for her answer and started walking.
“Have a good night’s rest!” The receptionists said happily.
As they were walking to their room, Aster asked Damon, “What was that emblem for? What’s special about it?
“Don’t worry, I'll tell you everything tomorrow. For now, we need to rest.” They both reached their room.
As soon as Aster entered her room. She immediately jumped to the bed. “Finally! I can rest!” She said in a tired voice.
Without realizing it, Aster fell asleep from exhaustion.
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