“Hello, my precious niece,” called a soft, musical voice. Its melodious timber inviting, evoking a sense of peace in the listener.

     “Where am I?” Myrra asked, looking around for the speaker.

     In a flash of gold and silver light, a woman appeared. Her long, luxurious golden hair reached down to her waist, silver streaks running through it. Her face was perfect, not a flawless perfection, but rather one in which the flaws simply accentuate the natural beauty of the woman. A serene smile set on her face, her honey colored eyes seeming to warm all those she looks at. From her back sprouts a pair of wings, silver like the streaks in her hair. With sparkling flecks of gold twinkling brightly. Her arms were spread wide, as if seeking embrace. A strong air surrounded her, one that spoke of great violence, but also an equal benevolence. A warm, inviting air that sought to sooth the confused girl.

     Myrra walked over and face planted into the woman's embrace. Her strong arms wrapped around the small child as she lifted her into a loving embrace.

     “What happened?” Myrra asked, her voice quavering. Tears running down her cheeks.

     “You were so brave. I’m so proud of you. You’ve accomplished something most people wouldn't even be able to stomach. And you rose to the occasion wonderfully.”

     “Is Kat ok?”

     “Your sister is fine, she was thrown into the wall, but she didn’t sustain any lasting injuries.”

     “What happened to me?”

     “After you defeated the corpse mound, it shot you with a bone spear.”

     “Did I die?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

     “You did. But it will be fine. You simply have to wait for the respawn penalty, and you’ll be returned to the church in Eurizeth.”

     “So I failed?” the small girl lamented.

     The woman wrapped her wings around the distraught child. Enveloping her in a comfortable warmth that radiated calming energy and love. 

     “You didn’t fail. You took on a creature far above your level and fought it to a draw. But it won’t respawn, so in essence you won,” she explained, a gentle smile on her face and she booped the small girl's nose. Eliciting a giggle from the girl. 

     “Who are you?”

     “I’m your aunt, silly,” she beamed.

     “What's your name?”

     She looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, “I am Phoebe.”

     “Hello auntie Phoebe,” Myrra beamed. “How are you?” she asked cheerily.

     “I am good, and you’re taking being dead surprisingly well,” she remarked, a playful smile on her face.

     “Well,” she began, a serious expression on her face, “you said that it was much stronger than us, so I beat something much stronger than me.”

     “That’s a very positive outlook,” she nodded thoughtfully. “So, are you enjoying yourself?”

     “Mhmm,” the small girl nodded eagerly, “I'm getting fun and cool stories to tell mommy when I visit.”

     “I’m sure she’ll love them,” the goddess agreed.

     Myrra smiled again and began to recount her tales so far to her aunt. Or, as she called it, ‘practicing her storyteller voice’. It wasn’t long before her body started to glow as particles of light began to swirl around her.

     “Looks like our time grows short,” she said wistfully.

     “Will I meet you again?”

     “If I have time and if you die again,” she replied, setting the small girl down.

     “That's it?” 

     “Maybe if you’re a good girl, I can make a special visit,” she giggled and winked.

     “I promise I'll be the best,” she exclaimed. “Bye auntie, love you!” She waved as a beam of light enveloped her and her body faded into it, before the light winked out.

     “I see what you mean moria, I'm glad I met the girl. I pray she has the strength for what's required…” Phoebe whispered to herself before she turned and vanished in a flash of light and feathers.

 

*****

 

     Myrra found herself standing in a beam of bright light. Which faded as she appeared in the center of the church. She barely had a chance to look around before she was assaulted from behind, powerful arms wrapped themselves around the disoriented girl. Lifting her into the air before pulling her tight against the warm body of her sister.

     “Myrra!” Kat exclaimed, her voice laced with worry. “I’m so sorry…”

     “Why?” she asked, her head tilted slightly.

     “Because I let you die…” she responded, tears welling in her eyes.

     “It’s ok sissy. I got to meet Auntie, and she said that corpse thingy was way stronger than us.”

     “What?”

     “When I was dead, Aunt Phoebe was there, and she talked to me.”

     “What did she say?” Kat asked after a moment's hesitation.

     She spent the next few minutes explaining everything that happened to her. Happily recounting the exchange with a smile on her face. Kat gave her a worried look, but Myrra was too excited to notice.

     “Well I’m glad. It seems I was worried about nothing,” she chuckled uncomfortably. 

     “Are you ok, sissy?” she asked, examining her sister.

     “I'm fine,” she replied brushing it off. “After you got hit, I was able to collect the drops and left. Speaking of which, it dropped this staff,” she added, retrieving an ominous looking bone staff from her inventory. “I don’t know if you want to use it or not, but you should take it.”

     “Are you sure?”

     “Yea, I mean, you did the most damage to it.”

     “Okay,” she smiled, wrapping her tiny hand around the staff, and it resized itself for her. The bone staff was cold, emitting a chill that seeped into her very bones. She tilted her head as she cast appraisal.

 

Staff of the Overlord

Necromantic magic cast with this staff has an increased potency of 20% and has a 10% reduced mana cost. Once a day, you may raise a corpse of your choice. The corpse retains 80% of its power and stats. If it knows any spells, they are retained and may be cast using the controller's mana. The corpse turns to dust after 24 hours unless the caster reserves 5% of their mana to sustain it.

 

     “That's a spooky item…” she remarked after reading it.

     “You have the appraise skill?”

     “Yeah, I got it for that maid café job I did.”

     “You did a maid job and didn’t tell me?” Kat asked sadly.

     “You were working,” the flustered girl chimed defensively. “And it was embarrassing.”

     “Says you, I bet you were adorable. Do you still have the outfit?”

     “No, I gave it back,” she smiled proudly.

     “That's ok, I'll order one once I log off,” she decided eagerly, eliciting a groan from the small girl.

     “Shouldn’t you already be logged off?” she asked, looking at the clock in her vision.

     “I wanted to make sure my most favorite sister was fine,” she huffed.

     “I’m your only sister,” she replied, shaking her head.

     Kat playfully pinched the small girl, causing her to yelp. She carried the flustered, blushing girl to the inn before placing her on the bed and laying down next to her. Despite the girl's protests, she pulled the small girl into a snuggle. Wrapping her tail around her sister as she swiftly drifted to sleep. With a sigh, Myrra nestled close to her sister and closed her eyes.

 

*****

 

     When she opened her eyes, she found herself not in her room but rather a pure white space. A vague feeling of déjà vu washed over her as she looked around.

     “Hello, Sam,” Moria said, making the girl yelp and jump. She spun around and saw the goddess, staring down at her with a gentle smile on her face. Sam looked down at herself, instead of the body of Myrra she saw her own, causing her disquiet. 

     “Mom... Moria? Why are you here?”

     “I’ve come to grant your wish,” she replied, her voice calming the feelings of wrongness that washed over her daughter.

     “My wish…?” she asked, her voice trailing off in disbelief.

     “Yes, you’re my daughter now, of course I would help in any way I could. Though my strength is limited in your world, I can work through you. So you must get stronger, far stronger.”

     “Stronger?”

     “Yes, I need your strength,” she explained.

     “My strength? To transform me?”

     “That, but also because your world is going to change. Your strength will help guide it into a better future. But for now you must forget, it was too soon for us to meet like this.”

     “But I don’t want to forget…” she whispered.

     “Come here my special baby girl,” she said, opening her arms wide. 

     “But I’m not, Kat says it’s just a game and I can’t get attached. I don’t want to lose another mom…“ Sam turned away to hide the tears forming in her eyes. She yelped as Moria walked up behind her and scooped the distraught girl up.

     “Whether in Lorianna or Loreth, you will always be my daughter and I’ll always love you. Now, if you really don’t want to forget, I won’t make you. But your aunt will be upset with me,” she mused with a smile.

     “Am I really…?”

     “You are,” she smiled, hugging her daughter to her chest, “and I love you.”

     “But I’m not…’ 

     “Not what sweetie?”

     “Not a girl,” she whispered.

     “Well, you like being a girl, right? And you consider yourself a girl, right?” Sam nodded to each of her questions. “Then guess what? You are a girl!”

     “Okay,” she smiled, her mother wiping away her tears. “I’m ready, but can I remember this eventually?”

     “Yes, I promise. Now are you ready?” she asked, holding her daughter tightly.

     "Yes mommy I am ready," she smiled.

     A soft glow enveloped the pair as Moria began to hum. Singing an unfamiliar yet nostalgic tone that slowly lulled her daughter to sleep. “I love you, my special little goddess.” she added, kissing the slumbering girl's forehead.

 

*****

 

     “Sam, are you awake yet?” Kat yelled from the other room.

     “Yea, I’m awake,” she called back, her voice sounding softer to her ears. 

     “Good morning, Miss Myrra,” Hanna said as she stood up, brushing her hair out of her face as she stretched and yawned. 

     “Morning, Hanna,” she remarked as she began to make her way to the bathroom. 

     “You received a text from Anthony this morning, would you like to hear its contents?” Hanna said as a notification bubble appeared in Sam’s vision.

     “Sure,” she replied as she squeezed some toothpaste on her toothbrush.

     “Hey, you wanna hang out today?” Hanna read. “How would you like to reply? You can think the answer.”

     Tell him sure, what does he want to do? Sam thought, as she brushed her teeth.

     “Message sent,” Hanna chimed.

     Sam finished washing her teeth, gargling with mouth wash before looking at herself in the mirror. Something looked off to her, she made faces, trying to determine what was different. She had a vague feeling that she was changed somehow but everything looked the same. Running her hand through her hair felt normal. She continued to examine herself when her thoughts were interrupted by her sister. 

     “Sam! I’m going to eat your breakfast if you don't hurry,” Kat teased.

     “I’m coming!” she yelled back, rubbing her face down with a wet cloth before leaving the bathroom. A notification bubble appearing again as she walked to the kitchen. Focusing on it caused a window to appear with a response from her friend.

     Cool, let’s meet at the mall in like 3 hours, I’ll be in front of the movie theater. She read, firing off a response as she sat down.

     “Took you a while, had to do your beauty routine?” Kat giggled, poking her sister in the ribs gently.

     “Nope, all natural,” she replied with a smile. 

     “I’m jealous,” she pouted, making her sister giggle.

     “Anything planned today at work?”

     “I think we’re working on a new dive VR Tactical Shooter game,” Kat replied, taking a bite of her sausage and egg bowl.

     “Sounds fun.”

     “You have any plans today?”

     “Gonna hang out with Anthony. We’re going to the mall,” she said. Taking a bite from a bowl of fruit, and sipping some juice. 

     “Sounds fun, you be safe. I'm off to work now,” she said, grabbing her cat backpack from the table and swinging it around her shoulder before planting a kiss on her sister's cheek and leaving. The door opening and locking automatically behind her.

     Sam sighed and washed her dirty dishes. She didn’t want to deal with people right now. But it has been a while since she last hung out with her best friend. She hadn’t seen her best friend in just about two months. His family went on vacation just before the start of summer. 

     It’ll be funny to see how he reacts to me. She thought to herself, giggling out loud as she imagined his reaction. A notification popped up in her vision and she focused on it. A smile crossed her face as she read her best friend's message.