NOVEL NEXT 184. Days from The Past
"That's…" Ravenna's voice faltered. "A young Ravenna," Ravenna whispered, stunned.
The Young Ravenna. Her jet black hair was a bit messy, her cheeks flushed with frustration and defiance. She glared at the boy, her oldest brother Nolan, and then abruptly turned away.
With a sharp breath, she ran. Straight through Ravenna's body.
"What the—?!" Ravenna staggered backward, goosebumps rising on her skin. There was no impact, no contact at all. It was as if she were a ghost here: unseen, untouchable.
"That greedy, immoral brat," the Young Prince Nolan muttered with a scowl, his eyes watching the younger Ravenna disappear into the garden. He sighed and turned, heading toward the Empress's wing, shoulders stiff.
Ravenna stood frozen for a moment.
"Am I… in a memory?" she murmured aloud.
The memory was real, she could feel that. She remembered that courtyard, the polished white stone, the scent of roses heavy in the air. But this scene, this exact argument, wasn't something she recalled. Not clearly. Not like this.
"There's no way I'm just hallucinating all this. And if this version of Ravenna is part of whatever this is…" she muttered, narrowing her eyes, "then maybe she's the key to getting out."
Without wasting another second, Ravenna took off after the younger Ravenna, heels thudding softly across the stone path as she chased the small figure into the courtyard.
As she passed beneath the ancient oak tree, its golden leaves rustling above, the world shimmered for a brief moment. A flicker of light pulsed from within her palm. Then—
[The Reputation System has increased attunement of the user to the Universal Origin.]
A glowing panel sprang into existence before her eyes.
Ravenna skidded to a halt. "What—? Finally!" she gasped, exasperated but relieved. "About damn time this thing worked again."
She took another step forward toward the oak tree, where younger Ravenna now sat with her knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them.
[The Reputation System has been tailored to the new level of attuning to Universal Origin.]
Another panel appeared, overlapping the first. Before Ravenna could even read the full message, a sharp dizziness hit her. Her legs buckled slightly, and she caught herself against the trunk of the tree, blinking fast.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Ugh—what now…"
Then came the final screen, crisp and glowing in gold and blue.
[Reputation System Activated]
[ Reputation System v1.0 ] (New)
User: Ravenna Solarius / Joy Cha Kim
Reputation Level: 71 — (3 / 120,400 EXP)
Current Reputation Points: 209,750 RP
Titles Unlocked: Raven of the Sun Palace, Unruly Princess, Beast Slayer
{ View Reputation Log } { Spend Reputation Points }
She let out a long, slow breath.
"So it updated?…" she muttered, her vision fading, still watching younger Ravenna in the distance.
The little girl under the tree hadn't moved. Her chin was tucked against her knees, her shoulders hunched forward in a familiar posture of silent grief. That moment, that version of Ravenna, wasn't angry anymore, just sad. Quietly, unbearably sad.
And then, like a wave crashing back into the shore, the sound of a voice broke through the silence.
"Master! Master!" Ravenna heard Marie's voice calling to her, distant, but growing louder. Her body jolted. She gasped. Her eyes flew open as if surfacing from beneath deep water. She was lying flat on the floor of the watchtower, the dull ache of her limbs pulsing back to life.
Marie knelt beside her, gripping her shoulders with trembling hands, trying to shake her awake.
"M-Marie—your wound!" Ravenna choked, sitting upright with alarm.
Marie smiled faintly, though worry was still etched deep into her face. "It's healed… thanks to the ring. But I was more worried about you, Master. You suddenly collapsed the moment the light burst out."
Ravenna blinked, her eyes adjusting to the real world again. Her gaze dropped to Marie's hand, where the Second Odyssey Ring now rested on her finger, glowing faintly with residual divine energy.
"You're okay..." Ravenna whispered, relief washing over her as she stood. "That's all that matters right now." But there was no time to rest. Her eyes snapped toward the coast.
"What's the battlefield status?" she asked, urgency returning to her voice.
Marie stood quickly and followed her to the balcony edge. "I activated the fillet flower right after the ring healed me," she said. "Everything… happened so fast."
Ravenna's eyes scanned the sprawling battlefield below. From the height of the watchtower, she could see everything. The once-orderly imperial formations were now scattered and broken. Confusion and retreat rippled through their ranks. The beach was littered with bodies, abandoned shields and fleeing mercenaries. The fog that had cloaked the imperial ships had cleared completely.
And from the masts of their once-proud vessels… fluttered flags of defeat.
"What… happened?" Ravenna asked, stunned.
Marie stepped beside her, the wind tugging at her dress. "The ring's divine light healed me," she said slowly. "But… it also revealed the truth."
Ravenna's eyes narrowed, understanding dawning. "It exposed that you're the Saintess of this era," she said softly. "Of course it did. That kind of divine light… it would be impossible to hide."
"I knew the risks," Ravenna added quickly, placing a firm hand on Marie's shoulder before she could apologize. "This was my decision. Don't blame yourself."
Marie nodded, eyes misting over. "The moment the light vanished… and the hot air balloons dropped their payload on the advancing units… the commanders signaled to admit their defeat. The entire fleets stood down within minutes."
Ravenna exhaled, watching the chaos die into silence as the enemy fell back or gave up.
"Of course they did," she murmured. "Once it was revealed that the Saintess herself was present in Kim City, everything changed."
Her fingers tightened on the stone railing, her gaze focused on the distant sea where ships bobbed with defeated grace.
"We've won this battle…" she said at last. "But things won't calm down now. If anything—" she looked toward the horizon, where the winds of politics and faith were already beginning to stir, "—Everything will be escalating more."