Reborn: Drowned to Hydratera

All Elements are Interconnected

    Sam found himself in a cave. He looked around to see that it was dimly lit by the raw crystals that were scattered everywhere, the ceiling, the walls and even the floor. The crystals were glowing and they were colored differently, some has that one solid color, others were gradient, some were even rainbow-colored. He knew that he was dreaming but it somehow felt real at the same time. 

    He wandered deep inside the cave, enchanted by the crystals, and there was this echoing sound of water dripping somewhere. His foot steps echo along the way, until he heard a whisper from behind. "Help", Sam spun around to see a big hole which he never saw as he passed by and this hole had the dark eerie violet glow from within. "Help", the voice whispered but this time louder and the sound was enchanting. 

    Sam followed the dark eerie violet glow and as he drew closer, he saw that he was in a darkly lit chamber. There were torches at the sides and it was glowing with small violet flames. Even with the torches he wasn't able to see his surroundings properly because of the low glow of the torches. 

    "Help", this time it was no longer a whisper but a dark deep voice. The torches suddenly lit brighter violet and there, in the middle of the chamber, was a female figure. The woman who Sam saw was from the vision Luminae showed him. She was looking at Sam with dark malicious but beautiful eyes. Her pupils were glowing brightly violet and it was like enchanting Sam. He couldn't move and he could only stare at the woman. She was still dressed the same from his vision but her facial features were slightly different and there was no glowing tattoos from her skin. In fact her skin seems pale white and human-like and also her face as well. She looked different from the last time Sam saw her. 

    Sam just stood there mesmerized by the demonic beautiful figure in front of him. The chains tied to her hands suddenly was cut loose but she was still wearing the chain bracelets and a length of the chains tied to her wrists. She was smiling, and was slowing walking towards Sam. 

    Sam couldn't move at all and she was in front of him. She caressed her cold hands at Sam's face and cupped his face and drew closer to his ear. "See you soon", suddenly Sam awoke from his nightmare. 

    Sam looked around the room he was in, it was brightly lit. The sun was shining and it seemed like it was around 8 in the morning. The room was colored greyish white adorned and accented with gold. You could say that it was like he was in a mystical palace. He sighed and palmed his face. 

    "Rise and shine, Chosen One. How was your sleep?", Sam didn't realize that Sersi was at his doorway standing with crossed arms. "I-it was good, I think", Sam answered sheepishly and looked away. Sersi looked at Sam and seemed that something was off but she quickly said, "Well then, we shall start your training after you eat your breakfast, feel free to wear any suitable clothes from inside the wardrobe.", Sersi said trying to change the mood and pointed to the golden wardrobe in front of his large bed. 

    "I will be waiting at the training grounds. Be there by exactly 9am sharp or else." Sersi turned around and was about to walk away. "Or else what?", Sam asked in a small voice. Sersi turned over her shoulder and smirked, "You do not want to be late to know that" and with that she walked down the hall. 

    Sam got up and washed his face with the bowl of water that was laid on the table for him. He went to the wardrobe and opened to see any clothes to wear. "This will do, I guess.", Sam said to himself. 

    Sam went to the mirror that was beside his door and looked at himself. He was wearing a blue pants and white long sleeved shirt with ruffled neckline and arm edges  and tucked in his pants. His clothes looked like it was from the 1600s. He wore a black leather boots that were knee high. He looked like he was some kind of prince in the middle age. 

    Sam walked down a glorious bright and wide hall and he went down a wide extravagant stairs with a well-designed carpet. Sam was greeted by a white elf and she was wearing like maid clothes. "The mistress is expecting you Chosen One. She wants you to join her after your breakfast.", she bowed while speaking to Sam. "Oh okay, thank you." Sam answered and followed the elf maid towards a bigger and wider hall to the dining hall. The elf maid opened a door and Sam was out of words when he saw the rom. It was a large dining hall and there was this long dining table and at the end where different kinds of delicious foods prepared for him. 

    The table was adorned with a red cloth with golden accents and the chairs looked like chairs for a throne. They were so beautifully and gloriously designed. There was a fawn who offered the middle chair and treated Sam like some kind of royalty. The fawn butler set his plate and spoon and fork for him like it was a five-star restaurant service. Then the fawn butler happily bowed and said "Enjoy your meal Chosen One". 

    "Ehh... Thank you mister...?", Sam said. "Sigfrid. The name's Sigfrid at your service." Sigfrid smiled and bowed again. He looked like he was in his middle age because he has a beard but still looks kind of young to be too old at the same time. "The maid who accompanied you here was Henrietta, she is the chief maid here. ", Henrietta showed up and bowed as well. "Sorry for my rudeness Chosen One, if I hadn't properly introduced myself." She tried to smile a half-meant smile because as Sam could see she isn't an elf that smiles a lot. "No worries Henrietta, and thank you both for your hospitality." Sam said. 

    "Why is there no one else to join me eat breakfast? Please, Sigfrid, Henrietta, would you like to join me?", Sam offered them a seat beside him. "We would love to Chosen One, but it is against our customaries here. Please do enjoy your meal, besides we have already eaten our fill while you were still in bed", Sigfrid smiled warmly. Sam felt embarrassed to wake up late than everyone else but nevertheless he enjoyed his lovely and warm meal. The meal was so delicious that the elf maids and butlers who were standing there looked surprised when Sam was able to finish all of the meal prepared for him.

    "Thank you for the meal, Sigfrid and Henrietta" Sam said while wiping with a table cloth napkin on his mouth. "So, where is Mistress Luminae by the way?", Sam asked Sigfrid and Henrietta while disregarding the awed looks of the maids and butlers around him. 

    "Right this way Chosen One" Henrietta gestured to follow her. "Please, guys call me Sam" Sam said 0a bit uncomfortable with the Chosen One label. "As you wish Sir.... Sam", Henrietta was a bit of uncomfortable but she shrugged it off. "Mistress Luminae is at her Garden Shrine", Henrietta continued. "Lead the way Henrietta" Sam said.

    Sam followed Henrietta through another hall and they stopped at a golden wooden door with real flowers adorned on it. The knobs were gold as well and the design of the door seemed so beautiful with all the wavy wooden carvings on it. Henrietta opened the door and a bright light overflowed inside the hall. Sam tried to cover his eyes because of the sudden brightness. When he recovered, he saw there was a beautiful fountain in the middle of a big pavilion and Luminae was sitting on a bench inside.

    The garden was filled with beautiful greens and flowers that were not familiar to Sam. There were glittering butterflies and bee-like insects flying around only they seem like a bit humanoid in appearance. Sam heard the door behind him closed and walked towards Luminae. 

    "Come, sit with me Sam." Luminae gestured beside her and she was sweetly smiling. "I think Sersi is going to do something to me if I came late for training.", Sam mumbled. Luminae laughed lightly, "Sam, she will not do anything bad to you, I assure you.", Luminae looked at him smiling. "So, you called for me?" Sam said changing the topic and still scared that Sersi might do something to her. 

    "Let me tell you a story of how all of us here are born and how magic started." Luminae looked over her garden. "Okay, but I don't think I have the time to listen to a story", Sam said looking over the garden as well. Luminae ignored him and started, " All elements here in Hydratera are interconnected, but I was the first one who was born before the others."

    "Really? How old are you?" Sam asked. "I am way older than a few millennia my dear child." She smiled half-heartedly. "The universe was at first a very dark place, a place of nothingness. Until I was born from amidst the darkness, the knowledge of how I came to be is still unknown for me even though I was the first one born. When I was born, I made a big flash of light over the entire universe-" "Just like a the big bang theory?" Sam cut her off curiosity on his voice. Luminae looked at him and smile, "Yes. You humans thought of it that way but it was how I was born amidst the darkness. But at that time, this was not yet my form. When I was born, I was born as a pure light of energy without any form than being just a luminous light, a very luminous light." she continued. 

    "It took me a long time to really take up a form even a ball of light which took me a millennia to do that. At that time I was so alone and didn't know what am I existing for. Until I was able to unconsciously conjure energy that helped made the first sun, and that was when Pyrox, the fire elemental was born. He was born from a big ball of bright and hottest flames. These flames made solar flares so massive that it made smaller versions of fire balls, some became planets cores and some became stars. From these planets, born was the birth of Gaia, the earth elemental. Gaia then gave birth to the water elemental, Aquea. The connections of Gaia and Aquea were so strong that from this connection another elemental was born, but it was different from them. The ether elemental, believed to be the source and maker of life and soul, Ethernos." "It's like you're telling me that the universe started with a big bang theory and from the energy these formed the planets and stars, the early stages of the universe right? and then because of the raw stage of planets and the inhabitable state and so much rain humidity caused to make rain which formed water." Sam said blabbering and Luminae looked at Sam patiently as if to say 'let me finish first- look'. "Sorry, please continue." Sam said feeling embarrassed of his geeky side. "Finally the last elemental to emerge was Forestia. She and Ethernos created different life forms on different planets thus creating life and existence to you humans and all other living creatures in these universe". 

    "That's so amazing, its both magic and pure science!" Sam exclaimed in amazement. "Wait so why tell me all about this?" Sam turned to Luminae. "So that you know all elements are interconnected in some ways. It well help how to understand and learn magic." Luminae smiled at Sam. "But how about the void? how was the void born? and why could it become the end of us all?", Sam asked looking at Luminae eyes. Lumina slightly bowed and looked away and stared at her garden. She stood up and walked towards her flowers, "The void was born from the dark and negative emotions of humans and other living beings gifted with a soul.", she stopped by a tree-like bush about a meter tall and it has multi-colored flowers. 

    "Meaning there are other beings as well ? Like aliens?" Sam exclaimed. "Yes, you could say it like that and there are other beings as well gifted with magic, beings that me and my brothers and sisters created with our magical powers." Luminae stared at one flower she plucked from the bush. Sam went silent for a while. "These beings we consider, either magical or not, are mostly our children, such as you humans. All of them were made from our magical energies." Luminae continued. "Every once a hundred years we have a being that would be able to have all magical and elemental attributes. Each attributes has their own uniqueness. Light, vision, illumination and illusion; fire, death and rebirth; earth, resilience and strength; nature, life and empathy; water, healing and essence; and lastly ether, psychic and connection to the soul." Luminae looked at Sam. "Do you want to see a little trick?", Luminae asked Sam. "Uhhh... sure?", Sam answered unsure of himself of what Luminae wants to show him. Luminae looked into Sam's eyes and suddenly Sam felt like he being drifted away and the next thing he knew was the surrounding changed, but he had a feeling that is was somehow unreal and different.