Emptiness surrounds me.

I am surrounded by nothing but endless nothingness, a blank space that hangs between reality and non-reality that exists yet doesn’t.

This space isn’t unfamiliar to me as I float formless in this expanse, something happened to my body returning me to this space.

Fragments of memories are all that remain of the incident that led me to here, fragments that only leave me with more questions and no answers.

One thing is clear though, this person isn’t friendly.

They were able to toy with me like I was nothing, they were able to search my brain as though it was nothing.

A cloud of energy gathers within the space near me while I think about the experience.

The powerlessness and the feelings of nothing.

A booming of energy rumbles in the distance sending shock waves of primal energy everywhere, I absorb the energy as it covers my formless existence.

A spark of connection reappears in my mind, ‘Hmm?,’ I mutter before touching it.

I close my eyes as a bright light comes over them, a loud noise of machines enters my ears as I hear voices of people surround me.

I open my eyes and notice I’m standing on a city street, large buildings stand beside me as cars and people walk about. I look down the road and spot a burnt out car, a familiar burnt out car before checking the rest of my body confirming that everything is where it needs to be. My head is not wounded at all, it seems like I am perfectly fine.

I begin to walk with the crowd down the road thinking about my next step, I can’t do anything serious until I work out what power that was and especially who it was yet how am I going to do that?

It’s possibly related to the Evil God’s as I encountered a godspace yet do I just go and join the church? The academy seems to be connected to the Evil Gods so do I go there?

Should I just move onto the next plane in case whoever that was is still watching me? Should I jump several realms just to ensure they’re not following? How can that ensure they’re not following though, they’re beings that I cannot comprehend. They can command the natural elements to their whim while commanding absolute loyalty of all those that pledge to them.

My thoughts stew about all of this not paying attention to my surroundings, when I hear a loud beeping noise nearby.

I turn to face the noise but it’s too late, *BOOM*

A truck has veered off the road slamming myself and someone else directly into the building beside us, squashing our bodies flat in an instant leaving no time to react.

The truck carrying several hundred tons worth of goods, well over its recommended weight limit was going faster than the recommended speed when their steering broke and sending them sideways into the two people walking on the side walk who will never be identified due to many circumstances. These incidents aren’t rare, each one tragic in their own right but a personal tragedy as the city does not care for ones plight.

I feel myself returning to the emptiness from before with the feelings of confusion and frustration over the events that unfolded yet suddenly, a calling is coming through the linger thread of consciousness left in my body.

Something is reaching out for me as it’s holding onto that lingering thread of consciousness sustaining it, I respond to that calling allowing it to engulf my bodies consciousness with a nourishing energy and delivering it somewhere. I don’t fight it as it carries me somewhere unknown, a gentle force that I cannot fight against gently settles my consciousness down within a misty dark space.

A strange pleasant smell comes across my nose as I lay there, “Welcome,” a gentle voice comes across my ears which continues, “You died.”

“Wh—

“Do not be afraid,” the gentle voice speaks over mine, “even though you died I’ll give you another chance.”

“Cha—

“A new life within a world without the misery, death and despair of this one. A world where there’s only beauty, love and caring, a world where the baggage of reality is left behind. Are you ready to start you new life? Are you ready to begin a new?”

I wait a moment to talk, “Who—

“Your new life awaits, are you ready?”

“Liste—

“Your old memories will be forgotten as you live your new life but I hope that you will always remember my name, Goddess Athena, I am the one that saw your plight and chose to intervene giving you a second chance. Now go, go and be reborn in the form of the Athenium matrons…”

A figure steps out of the clouds revealing itself as my consciousness is washed over with energy rendering the last few words barely audible, a woman with bright red hair wearing a red set of robe revealing ample cleavage. Her eyes glow with a strange red colour as they look at where I am, the colours twist and shimmer in her eyes as I cannot help but stare in them.

She holds up a spear with a red tip that glows,“This will show that damn Bamiel,” she says quietly as though I cannot hear it while energy is forced onto my consciousness rendering it knocked out unable to perceive the world around it.

I have not been given a single chance to speak during that encounter but I will forever remember that picturesque face that I could glance, I can only endure everything happening to me but I am also curious as to what’s going on and allow these acts affect me when I could choose to let them not, I have no idea what’s going on but it seems like I might have been wrapped up in someone’s plans.

A calming energy wafts over my body as I finally feel it again.

I clench my fist waiting for my vision to return to my eyes when a voice announces its presence, an elder female voice speaks slowly pronouncing every word carefully as she speaks.

“Welcome to Athenium, the home for the heroes selected by Goddess Athena.”

“Welcome heroes.”

“Welcome to your paradise heroes.”

“You’re welcome to your new home without all the problems that men bring.”

“Welcome heroes, please ensure our safety from the men.”

…

A crowd of people speak after the first woman, one thing all the voice have in common is that they’re all feminine. They quieten down after a few rounds of chanting with only an occasional whisper and the hum of some sort of energy in the background.

My vision comes back a minute later allowing me vision of the room, there’s over 100 people standing in this grand hall with 5 other people beside me.

I look down at my body and immediately notice breasts, I open the white robe I’m wearing and spot a female body underneath it causing me to frown.

“Heroes once you have recovered please step forward so we can receive you properly,” a tall official looking woman speaks, her commanding presence in the room draws much attention to her. Her stern yet confident expression belays an air of confidence about her. Their white robes are non-descript yet perfect in appearance.

Two of the women around me step forward while another one stumbles over where they stand.

The other two are standing on the spot unmoving, I take a deep breath and spread out my senses…

They immediately return alongside an immensely painful feeling, my head feels like it’s going to rip apart as something incompatible with it sits inside it.

I touch my fingers underneath my nose and look at my fingers, blood has come out of my nose.

This could mean many things but that little experiment proved that I cannot freely use my innate powers, something about this space is weird including the way it interacts with reality. Weird enough to cause me actual harm.

My thoughts stew as one of the final two wakes up, “What? Athena?,” her young voice says worriedly.

“Welcome hero, please step forward so we can receive you on Athenium.”

“Athenium? Really? It’s true? I was delivered the paradise after all?,” the young woman with short black hair falls to her knees and begins to cry.

One of the attendants on the side move forward, her beige robe squishing through the air as she moves forward bending down to tend to the woman, “It’s ok, you’re home now,” placing her hand on the woman’s shoulder.

The crying woman looks up, “Am I really here?”

The beige robe woman nods her head, “Yes, forever,” she hugs the crying woman for a moment settling down after a moment.

A beige robe woman arrives before me, “Are you ok?,” she asks softly yet her stiffened expression doesn’t relay any compassion. I look towards the woman, her short black hair and upturned nose give her a unique and cute appearance yet her attitude puts me off immediately.

“I’m fine.”

“Ok I needed to make sure your ears were working, please move forward,” she says bluntly before moving onto the person still standing unmoving.

I move forward towards the women receiving others with a wreath of flowers and open arms, I pass by them as each of them deposits some sort of good on my body. Flowers, clothing and jewellery line my body by the time I arrive at the end of the procession of women where a large doorway reveals a single large room lined with countless rows of wooden seating, thousands upon thousands of them line the gorgeous building decorated with coloured glass windows.

I step through the doorway where two others approach me, “Welcome hero, we will escort you to the receiving room where we’ll allow you to adjust and collect you for the banquet later tonight.”

“Alright lead the way,” the women turn around and lead me off the large raised platform before all the empty seating and down through a side door, we walk up a small set of stairs and arrive at an open courtyard surrounded by incredibly high walls.

I look up into the bright blue sky, the single sun in the sky creates an almost perfect atmosphere that I cannot help but stare at it, this is my first time truly experiencing a natural sky with atmosphere.

The women arrive before a door on the grey wall surrounding the courtyard and open it with a key, “Please step inside, there is a snack waiting for you.”

I look through the open door, “how long until the banquet?”

“Several hours, Queen Alferia has to arrive which will take some time but you will get to meet her later.”

The women usher me through the door, I don’t resist after being given no choice in the matter, everything going on so far is strange yet nothing ulterior that I can feel. The door slams shut leaving in the dimly-lit room behind the door, a clicking of the lock can be heard as footsteps leave from the other side of the door.

I look around the room and spot a table where a delicious looking fruit platter is spread out, each piece of fresh looking incredibly plump and juicy even if I cannot identify what they are.

My mouth waters upon just looking at them, I walk over to the table and take one.

A plump red fruit, a simple squeeze releases some sweet smelling liquid. I toss it into my mouth where the sweetness washes over my tongue delivering me an uplifting feeling, I throw another one into my mouth before another.

The basket is empty after only a few handfuls of fruit leaving me still hungry, a quick look around the room reveals that there’s no more food.

A sparsely decorated bedroom is around me, there’s no windows or opening to the outside other than the door where I walked in that is now locked. It’s be fair to describe this as a room where people would only go to have sex in, I look at the bed and suddenly feel like I shouldn’t touch it yet a wave of tiredness comes over my body as I sit on the chair thinking about what has happened.

I cannot tell exactly why it has happened but it seems like I have been transported to this new world by Goddess Athena, whoever that is.

My power is restricted, squeezing out a single usage might be possible if I’m willing to endure the backlash but I should see where what is going on in this place first.

A strange energy permeates everything including my new body but it’s something I cannot control, it’s something that I can only barely perceive yet something tells me this might be the clue I’m looking for towards my pursuit of ascension.

I lay on the bed sensing this energy as it works its way through my body, any attempt to control it are met with pain and retaliation.

My body begins to feel incredibly hot as I lay on the bed, my hands begin to wander down my female body as my touch begins to feel pleasing, I reach down further below when a knocking on the door catches my attention.

The door swings open immediately after the knock, dozens of people march into the room wearing the same beige robe as though they own the place. They don’t give me time to react to their presence before they’re stripping my clothes off and wiping it down with a cloth, the women are methodical about their work and don’t let any sort of protest get in their way. They wash my body, put on a fresh set of clothing and apply various bits of make up to my face.

I don’t have a mirror to see my appearance but I am wearing a below knee length skirt along with a white blouse and black jacket, I am even wearing a set of long white socks and leather shoes.

“The banquet will start soon, we’re just getting you ready. Do you remember you name?”

I blink at the person before me confused as to why they would think to ask that, I go to answer when she begins to speak again.

“It’s fine, we’ll call you Pseupheus.”

“Phesupheus?”

“Pseupheus, it means horn blossom of the ocean floor.”

“Pseupheus?”

“Yes you got it, Pseupheus is your name now. Pseupheus you’ll be meeting with Queen Alferia and Pope Nalfiette soon, you look beautiful and ready to meet them already. I’m Hestupheniua and I’ll be staying with you until it’s time to head to the banquet.”

Most of the people have left the room by now leaving me with Hestupheniua, her robes are a white colour compared to the beige of all the others. A gentle caring smile looks upon me as I look upon her, as though she has the patience to bear anything.

“What’s the banquet for?”

“The summoning ritual, when people are successfully summoned then we will hold a banquet to honour them and the Goddess.”

“Why honour them? What did they do?”

“The goddess will only select people for the ceremony if they are worthy, you were chosen so you must have performed deeds worthy in your previous life.”

“So you must hold a lot of banquets?”

“No… at one point they were every single weekend yet now that the Goddess rarely visits, we have only seen two successful summoning rituals out of the last one hundred.”

“How often do you perform the rituals?”

“We hold them every seventh day as decreed by the Goddess.”

“Oh,” I mutter while nodding my head.

“That’s why we’re truly blessed to have you heroes here. As there are only women on this world we can only rely on summoning to bring new people in.”

“Only women?”

Hestupheniua nods, “Yes, there are no men at all on Athenium.”