Chapter 1: Rebirth

The terrifying sensation of falling still lingered, and the piercing screams seemed to echo by her ears. Lin Xiang trembled as she opened her eyes, only to see a vast expanse of blue-white moonlight flowing like water. Seven white stars shone in the sky, but accompanying this miraculous scenery was the visible collapse of the world’s edge, crumbling at an alarming speed.

A noble goddess emerged amidst the ocean of moonlight. She wore a black veil-like gown, her waist girdled with a netted belt set with a massive ruby. Her deep eyes gazed at the girl who existed now only as a soul; pain seemed to overflow from her gaze as her ethereal voice sounded by Lin Xiang’s ear:

“Unexpected traveler, welcome to the Gate of the Moon. I am Mystra, goddess of magic of the Faerûnian plane.”

Lin Xiang’s soul quivered under the brilliance before her. Forcing down her fear, she mustered the courage to ask, “Greetings, Your Grace! Please, why am I here?”

Mystra looked sorrowfully at her crumbling divine realm and sighed. “Our world is about to perish. Shar’s Shadow Weave destroyed my Weave at a terrible cost. The energies of the elemental planes have gone into upheaval. Tsunamis and storms are devouring the land, and the gods are about to fall into eternal slumber within the Astral Plane.” She removed her belt, its black net unraveling into pieces. “Before stepping into the Astral Plane, Savras gave one final prophecy, leading us to the existence who could save us.”

Her gaze fell upon Lin Xiang. “Fate’s revelation led us to you. One of my mothers, Selûne, the Moon Goddess of Creation, found you within the chaotic sea beyond the Crystal Sphere.”

With that, the goddess extended the broken belt. “We must make a pact. Swear upon the River Styx: I shall grant you all that I have left, and in return, you must one day return to Faerûn to spread my faith once more. Only then will I awaken from the Astral Plane and be reborn into the new world.”

Although she didn’t fully understand Mystra’s words, Lin Xiang knew it was unwise to oppose her under such circumstances. She accepted and responded to the oath. The dark waters of the Styx flowed silently between mortal soul and goddess, bearing witness to their vow.

The goddess gave a faint smile, then turned to look at the shattered expanse. “Ao has awakened. This catastrophe will force him into slumber again, until the world is reborn.”

“And you—it is time to go.”

The seven white stars fell into the sea of moonlight, transforming into a small boat. It carried Lin Xiang through the crystal-like wall, into the unknown Chaos Sea.

In silence, time lost meaning. Lin Xiang soon noticed her boat was beginning to unravel. Panic rose within her—what would happen once she lost its protection? In this vast Chaos Sea, time and space had no meaning. She had lost count of how many bubble-like worlds she had seen form and shatter in an instant. Sheltered only by the boat’s faint glow, she worried whether she could reach her destination before it disintegrated completely.

The light of the boat weakened. Countless beings, neither good nor evil, turned their gaze upon Lin Xiang. Finally, the boat arrived at a strange world. Unlike the crystalline structure of Faerûn, or the fragile bubbles she had passed, this world was composed of five layers: the Abyss at the bottom, the land above it, the sky in the middle, a realm of silent night higher still, and, surrounding all, a tightly woven darkness.

The boat carried Lin Xiang through the dark barrier, then crumbled into stardust. Inevitably, without its protection, Lin Xiang fell from the sky into a vast ocean.

She did not know how much time had passed before a tender voice called to her.

“Wake up, my child.”

When she regained consciousness, Lin Xiang found herself within a luminous white shell, the ground beneath her lined with golden pearls. Gentle waves lapped against the shell, which slowly opened. A goddess with pale skin and chestnut hair opened her azure eyes, calm and deep as the sea. The ocean’s embrace clothed her in a flowing white gown.

For a moment, Lin Xiang was dazed. The black belt suddenly transformed into a pearl necklace, the ruby at its center gleaming brightly. Memories surged into her mind like the tide, sweeping away her confusion and leaving behind serenity. She now knew her name and origin—

She was Tyche, one of the Oceanid’s daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, sister of Metis, and aunt of Athena!

But as calm returned, Tyche immediately felt a shadow cast upon her future. This was the infamous realm of Greek mythology, where women were born into unfair fates. At any moment, a male god might leap from the bushes to seize her. To call them gods was generous—they were more like powerful beings, their desires so reckless and unrestrained that they behaved like spoiled children with divine strength.