>> A dark surroundings.

Void with everything, within the succumbing eerie silence is a voice grunt. A voice no one heard of. No one familiarizes; no one recalls.

A faint, falsetto voice echoed in the surrounding darkness. “Ugh, where am I...?” The voice asked. Nothing comes up with an answer.

It feels like there’s something, yet nothing at the same time through this place. The one who owns the voice thought that. It doesn’t remember anything.

Only the owner of the voice realize is that, it wasn’t dead or alive. It only starts to move on the endless pitch darkness, without proper track.

“...Where is this place? Should I proceed? Will I see something beyond this?”

Each stride that owner of the voice does, a faint, blight memory appears in it. In a steady motion, the pitch-dark place feeble with light.

The surroundings revamps with features of a person, all-in first-person point of view. Appearing are the collages of a man. Different angles and positions, different facial looks and emotions.

“...Who...?” the voice uttered. “Justine...?”

Throughout the path of collages surrounds, the owner of the voice slowly shows its true self. A young woman appears bare naked. Her feet keep walking while her eyes wander around.

“Justine...? Justine...” the girl hollers that same name. Her memories flickers like a flame in her mind. As she proceeds on walking, tears flooding her eyes.

“...Justine. Justine...” the girl continues. As she keeps following the trail, a glimmer of light at the end shimmers before her. She follows it without hesitation, and from there, the young woman escaped.

Outside the brimming light is a greenery field. A vibe of requiem faintly felt through her body.

“What is this place?” the young woman asked. She felt the brush of grass touching her feet. Caressing softly under her sole, she keeps following the unseen path on the wide area.

At the middle of somewhere is an octagonal-shaped Gazebo stands made out of steel. Vines surrounds, making it an impeccable design. The young woman walked towards, and from there she sees a person glimmering while wearing a neckline open dress in white hue, covering her two healthy and supple, big breasts.

Her hair tied half-up half-down style in gold hue, eyes sparkle like a sapphire gem, carved in an upturned look. Her skin is pure white, seemed to be like a milk.

Throughout the appearance of a strange woman, she shows a beckoning smile. Sitting on a throne-like chair, she looks at the young woman and smiles. “Oh, my...” a giggle left from her mouth.

The young woman moves towards where the Gazebo is. As she stands before the person sitting in the throne, she opens her mouth. “What is this place?”

“A realm... linking to your world and the one I created.”

The woman’s voice is like a honey. Its sweet tone seeps deep in the young woman’s depths. “Welcome to my world, Catherine...”

As that name conveyed, the young woman’s eyes widely open. A flash of memories came back in her. Recalling everything happened before, and the time she committed suicide to follow the person she loved in the afterlife.

“I... I am Catherine?” the young woman mumbled.

“Indeed, you are... my dear.”

The woman at the throne smiles as she stands up. Standing in front of Catherine, she reached her face and touches it. “You are already dead. Committing a crime of passion to the person you never saw you as a love interest, how tragic that is...?”

Hearing those lines, her chest churned out. She twitches out of anger and sorrow. It slowly comes back to her, tainting her feelings like a stain.

However, the woman giggles as she saw the distorted looks of Catherine. “How pitiful; you look cuter when you’re writhe in pain, my dear.”

“What do you want from me? Who are you!?” Her voice gives a vibrant of discomfort, asking the question from the woman.

“I am Lenir, the Goddess of this realm.” The woman introduces herself as she moves a step away. “I took you from an eternal suffering. And brought you here...”

“Huh?” Catherine asked. Her eyebrows fuzzed after hearing the statement.

“You are here, because I want you to give a second chance in your unrequited love. You seemed really fawned over that mortal, huh?”

Lenir snickers as she sways a glance from the woman, who stays still. “Too bad, I made him linked over another woman in the world I created to be bound by fate.”

Catherine’s body become frigid as those lines conveyed. Her hands clutched out; teeth gritted. What is this woman saying?!

“You see, as I see you writhing in pain for not having your love of life fulfill your desire to be loved, I thought that it would be good to give you a second chance.”

A tempting line to heed. Catherine remained silence while glaring at Lenir. “The gear of fate between you two are already in set. From the time you two were born, you are destined to meet up, and be acquaintances. And you are the one who will bring him to this world I made…”

What?!

Catherine grunts out as she heard it. “What do you mean about that—?”

“You decided to kill him, right? And by eradicating him, my plan to take him in my world fulfills. Thank you, for your participation.”

Lenir grins while leaving those thoughts from her mouth. It is true that Catherine committed a crime to Justine due to her unrequited feelings.

But she knows it’s all about her feelings alone and nothing more. However, she never imagined that someone’s ruling behind those actions.

No, she can’t just admit it. There’s no way someone will plan this all along because it is her own decision to make it all. “Humans are rational beings. The way they think that everything revolves around by taking actions is fascinating. You think that you did that because you love him so much, huh?”

“You... you made me kill him because of your plans? What kind of God are you?! Making me dance in your palm all along!?”

Catherine snarls out. All this time she is deeply hurt from Justine’s feelings never reciprocated. But it’s all a scheme of this God in front of her.

“How dare you play with us! You bastard! I will kill you—”

“Ohoh, take it easy, woman...” Lenir sits at her throne, but her voice heeds like a strong impact that Catherine suddenly stopped from her rage.

“I didn’t bring you here to let your rage out in me. I’m here because you are totally lost in the cycle of reincarnation.” She heaves a tepid sigh and leans at the back.

“Preferably, I want you to be alive, but...” Lenir rests her left hand on her left cheek while leaning sideways. “... Say, do you want to live a second life?”

Catherine didn’t answer. She just grits tightly while scowling. “... Seems that you want to, huh? Well, as I’ve said... I brought you here because I want you to give a second chance in your unrequited love.”

What is she scheming this time? Catherine scowls out of anger, yet what makes her want to do that thing? Lenir already ruined her life.

“...Why?” in a bellowed manner, Catherine asked.

“Hmmm? You’re asking, ‘why’?” Lenir mumbled and grins. “It’s because you will be the savior of your love. You see, I bought him in the Demon Realm, and the story won’t be able to move if you, a Hero, won’t do anything.”

Through those thoughts heeded by Catherine, her eyes narrow while glaring at the Goddess. “On this world I created, adversaries are also present. Like in any other stories, a Hero supposed to save everyone from their demise. You are the chosen one to lead the Mankind.”

“And what it is for you, huh?”

Lenir chuckles in sinister way as her eyes narrow. “You can fulfill your unrequited love, and I... will watch over you to make that happen. You have my blessing. And the confidence to face all adversaries happen to be in your way...”

Catherine sighs in resignation. She can’t just let this God fool her around again. But knowing that Justine is still alive and lives in the Demon Realm, there’s no way she wanted that to happen.

“Alright, I will get along with your scheme this time, but this will be the last.” Catherine answered.

Lenir smiles and claps as she heard the answer of the young woman. “Excellent! I love your compassion, young lady. No, I will call you, Hero...”

Standing off from her throne, Lenir goes to Catherine and place her hand on her head. “I am the Goddess Lenir, blessing you, Catherine, to be the most wonderful Hero and win over the adversaries for the Mankind. May your new life begin with happiness.”

A beaming light appear underneath her feet. Catherine glows brightly, slowly dissipating from the place.

“You will be born again, as a girl... and your name will be Medea.”

Shortly after, Catherine vanishes completely before Lenir. “All right,” she sighs and goes back to the throne once more. “Catherine, no... Medea, the Hero... how will you entertain me in this story I created?”

Sitting back once more, Lenir grins as she looks up to the open sky of the Gazebo.