Melody of the Holoverse

Episode 18: Return of the Right Hand

She stood before the oak door, her anxiety heartless.

Shallow breaths.

A frenzied stomach.

Jittery fingers, which did nothing for the steaming cup of tea in her hands.

You can do this.

You can do this.

She repeated the words over and over, stringing the syllables together with her feeble conviction. Just offer the drink.

But her thoughts barreled past the gesture itself, diving boldly into the possibilities:

heal the fracture

or

learn to forever accommodate the hole in her world.

More than anything, she loathed the imminent moment of truth, her heart begging to stay home in the in-between.

But she had to move forward; if not for herself, then for the woman who had blessed her life with brilliant golden glimmers.

Slowly, she opened the door.

Inside was a modest bedroom, the furniture sparse but with a refined wooden touch. Towards the back lay a small bed, with a narrow window placed slightly above, allowing the sun's gentle beams to soak through.

There, the simple fox of fortune rested, staring pleasingly through the glass and out to the realm of limitless possibilities.

When the little girl arrived, however, the fox turned her head, her smile warm.

"Hi, Mom," Yuko said. "I have something for you."

"When are we supposed to go up there?" I wondered.

My companions and I lounged in the manor's dining hall, relaxing our muscles in what felt like ages.

"I'm guessing she'll let us know when she's ready," Pluto said. "We just have to be patient."

The dragon's stomach growled. "You think she's got any food lying around? I'm starving."

"Didn't you have your fill at Filian's?"

"Let me clarify: Is there anything not fruit-snack-related lying around?"

The swordswoman paused. "Fair enough."

Getting Igor to stay calm, we had solved Mythica Park's dilemma, meaning we had earned ourselves an Iluna Blossom.

Miss Filian, however, was less than happy about handing it to me.

"I still think you're in way over your head," she told me. "But because you relieved me of a very long headache, I can't let you leave empty-handed. That being said, you can't keep squeezing out miracles. Sooner or later, your luck will run out. When that happens, your run will end; that much I can guarantee. Don't say I didn't warn you, Violet Newcastle."

I replayed her message over and over again, my resolve burning more and more fierce with each syllable.

If I stay this way, then you are a hundred percent correct, Miss Filian. But I can change. I will change. I'll become the person Miss Gura wants to count on, the person who can bring peace to the Myth Collective.

I'll become strong enough to bring down gods.

Already, I had a new weapon imagined in my arsenal. Theoretical, but existent nonetheless.