Corvin looked around again. The grass beneath him shimmered faintly with a light not cast by any sun. The air smelled sweet, not like flowers, but like… memory. The stillness was almost too perfect.
He then looked at the enigmatic woman in front of him.
She smiled but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, but it was kind nonetheless.
"Is there anything that you wish to know?" she asked, voice soft, calm.
He looked at her.
"Yeah. I think I have… a lot of questions, actually."
She waited patiently.
He straightened his back.
"Has anyone else ever been here? Or am I the only one?"
Her dazed for a moment, reminiscing something and gaze drifted toward the flower field.
For a moment, he thought she might not answer.
"You are the first," she said at last, "since the owner of this place left."
Corvin tilted his head.
"So… you're not the owner?"
"No," she said, her smile a little more amused now. "I'm only the keeper. The garden does not belong to me."
He nodded knowingly.
"Then why am I here?" he asked. "I don't even know what this place is."
She studied him for a moment, then said,
"Truthfully, I don't know either. You are here because the garden accepted you. That only happens when the owner has chosen someone. You've been blessed."
"Blessed?" Corvin echoed. "What do you mean? Blessed by who?"
Her expression remained gentle.
"By the owner of this place. You are the first since they vanished. That means they've chosen you."
"…Why? What does that even mean?" he asked, brow furrowing. "You keep saying blessed, but I don't even know what that is."
She folded her hands in front of her and spoke as if she was reciting a book.
"A blessing is the act of sharing a portion of one's power with another. Think of it like lending someone your money. They can use it however they wish… but if the lender desires, they may take it back. The only difference is that you can't really avoid paying it back like money."
Corvin frowned, arms folding over his chest.
"So it's not really a gift. More like a loan."
She nodded. "In most cases, yes. That is the nature of ordinary blessings. They can be revoked at any time by the one who gave them."
His eyes narrowed.
"Then what's stopping someone from just ripping it away the moment it becomes inconvenient?"
"Nothing," she said simply. "That's why such blessings are unstable. Temporary. Often political."
Corvin hesitated.
"...So is mine the same kind?"
"No, 'His' blessing is different from ordinary one." She shook her head. "The blessing you carry is from a great being. The great beings, like the owner of this garden. Or the World's Spirit. They are fundamentally different from normal blessings."
'Great being? The owner of this garden is on the same level as the World's Spirit?'
Though Corvin didn't know what the world's spirit was, he assumed that it must have been powerful going off of the name alone.
He stiffened.
'What in the world have I gotten myself into.'
"Their blessings are given out only to those whose fate aligns with them. But they can't take it back, It is a rule that the great beings have to obey."
Corvin exhaled slowly.
'So this isn't just some magical power. It's permanent. Binding. A rule that even the great beings of this world follow.'
A thought struck him. He looked up.
"Then… what blessing did I receive?"
She smiled.
"The garden has chosen to give you the Blessing of Mind."
He stared.
"Mind?"
"Yes." She paused. "The owner of this place is someone who holds authority over the mind."She continued. "Have you noticed anything unusual lately? Particularly… in your thoughts?"
Corvin thought back.
'Since the forest… something did feel off. My mind was… clearer!'
"Yeah," he lit up in excitement. "After I entered a forest, my mind felt sharper. Even when I was exhausted, my thoughts were… focused. Like I could see what I needed to do. My mind wasn't drifting like usual."
She nodded.
"From your description and awakening of your blessing. I can tell that the forest was corrupted. And the creature you saw was most likely corrupted as well."
Corvin frowned.
"That thing? The monster?"
"Yes, corruption often acts as a trigger for innate blessings. The ones granted by great beings are often present from birth, but dormant. It takes… an impact. A catalyst."
"You mean… I had this from the start?"
"Most likely. The corruption merely awakened it."
He sat in silence, trying to take it in.
"So that monster… somehow helped awaken this blessing?"
"In a twisted way, yes," she said. "Corruption has always been a threat to this world. My friends and I fought long and hard to cleanse it… centuries ago. But it seems it has returned."
"Your friends?" Corvin asked.
She nodded, but didn't elaborate. Her eyes looked distant, not with sadness, but with nostalgia.
He glanced down.
"So… what does this blessing actually do?"
She smiled.
"You'll find out soon enough. The power will reveal itself when you return. Let it guide you. And don't waste it."
A sudden pressure settled in Corvin's chest. The idea of having a power, a real, irreversible force within him, and was apparently there from his birth was both overwhelming and exciting. But at the same time…
'What do I even do with it?'
He glanced down at his hands.
'What does that even make me now? Am I someone significant?'
The woman's tone softened again.
"Learn what you can. Be careful. Especially around those who carry the blessing of the World's Spirit."
Corvin looked up.
"Why? What makes them dangerous?"
But the light around him had already begun to fade. The garden shimmered, dissolving like mist under the sun.
"Wait—!" he reached toward her. "I still have questions—?!"
Her expression was unreadable. "You'll understand… eventually."
And then everything fell away.
The grass. The stars. The sky.
Gone.
The woman stood alone in the garden.
She stared at the spot where Corvin had been.
A long silence passed.
Then she sighed.
"So it begins again," she whispered. "I hope this time… you won't suffer as much… My dear."
Her voice broke slightly on the last word.
She closed her eyes, and the garden fell silent once more.