Ch:68 – Empress inheritance

"Weren't they killed?" 

"You can inherit her will, becoming the empress, mother of us all, and be raised to be our goddess."

I chuckled, causing her to have an awkward expression. 

"I'm barely surviving as a human. How could I possibly become an empress, even more so a goddess?"

"Not from day to night, of course." She leaned her face closer. "But Iris. You are the real deal. You are the one. You can become almighty!"

And the words of Aurora came to my mind, that whispering which had granted me a twisted sense of confidence that almost drove me to die: 'You can become more, so much more.'

I looked at the side. "What are those?"

"They're called Sakura trees. When they blossom, they shed these pink petals that have a sweet fragrance."

"They're beautiful."

"Yes. They are the kitsune race's favorite tree."

"I can see why." A gentle smile passed by me. "I have no reason to reject your offer, but I also won't promise I'll achieve it."

She bowed deeply. "Your mother would be proud."

The kitsune turned around and went inside the temple. I noticed her tail swaying to the sides, finding it cute but also humorous. Her white robe was cute and fitted her like a glove. It was held by a red rope tied in a knot.

"You may enter."

As I walked forward, I felt the air becoming even thinner, harder to breathe.

I gasped but endured the difficulty.

The moment I stepped on the first step. Aurora and the grimoire left my body.

I looked back in disbelief, seeing Aurora in her blackened shape, a darkling of sorts.

Notice: Your connection to your grimoire has been temporarily ceased.

"Come closer." The voice from within sounded sweeter than ever.

I took a second step, feeling a strange wave purging me.

Notice: Your soul has been cleansed from corruption.

With a third step, I felt an incredible pressure, not as strong as the one Aura had used. Nonetheless, strong enough to make it almost impossible for me to take the fourth and last step out of the staircase. Still, I gritted my teeth and went through the hardship and pain, sweating through this lengthy process.

"Congratulations. You've passed the first trial. The three steps to divinity."

I walked further, no longer feeling the pressure.

"You must be trying to kill me," I said in a low voice, complaining.

A hint of laughter followed as if the kitsune took it as a joke.

Inside, I found a room lighted by candles held by red and white strings.

In the center of the room, a table. I sat by it and looked around. This had been the only entrance, therefore, the only exit.

However, I was alone in here.

"Kitsunes can become masters of many things. But, particularly, those of noble blood always come with three special abilities. One is having dreams that affect your reality, the reason why you're here. The second is the ability to create strong illusions like this temple. However, we're not the best at perceiving them. The third is the ability to form bonds or pacts with objects and entities."

It was with those words that I understood how I had managed to make a pact with Aurora and save her from that prison. My soul had been a kitsune once.

"Right."

"On top of the table, eat that as the final step."

I looked at the table that had been empty, and now it had a little wooden box. I tried to pull the cover without success. Then, I tried to twirl it, managing to open it up. 

Inside, a seed glowed softly, emanating a gentle pinkish-gold light that seemed alive, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. 

Its surface was smooth but not perfectly round, shaped almost like a tiny teardrop or a polished gem, with faint, intricate veins running across it, shimmering like threads of silver caught in sunlight. 

As I held it, warmth seeped into my palms, comforting and invigorating at the same time, as if it recognized me. 

A faint scent of cherry blossoms drifted from it, delicate and sweet, filling the room with an almost intoxicating serenity. 

Somehow, even without understanding why, I knew this would bring a change.

"It doesn't look too different from a soulstone." My parents had told me humans could eat them. However, if they ate from other races, they would turn into those races. But this looked like a fruit, and those didn't do me wrong. Plus, it was forbidden by the church.

I put it in my mouth and passed my tongue around it. A sensational flavor passed by. I took a bite, making a crunchy, delicious sound, just like when a chicken skin gets toasted just on point. Then, I bit it two more times, and finally I gulped it.

"Goodbye, Iris. Child of the prophecy." Her voice felt like a dying whisper.

"Prophecy? What prophecy?"  I questioned, but to no avail. A sensation of dizziness struck me. 

I knew I had a chance to become a goddess from her words and all that. But, shouldn't she have told me about this prophecy?

Notice: Your race will suffer a change.