Pixel and Jean arrived at Xóchitl's meditation room and saw for themselves; the room felt peaceful and tranquil. In front of the room stood a statue of the God of Light with two candles on the bottom and incense sticks held by a holder. But noticing above the God of Light, Pixel and Jean see four more statues. The four statues represent the main Four Gods that created the universe. Xóchitl sat down in front of the shrine and crossed her legs.
"Take a seat," instructed Xóchitl, and the girls obeyed. As they sat, Xóchitl intertwined her fingers and stared at the girls.
"Let's begin with your meditation. Straighten your back, relax your body, and mind. Your mind should be nothing; have it in complete darkness. Relax your breathing and let your mind wander by itself," instructed Xóchitl, showing her meditation posture. The girls followed Xóchitl's instructions for comfort in their meditation pose.
"Good," praised Xóchitl. Pixel and Jean were now meditating and following Xóchitl's voice. Their minds are nothing but darkness. Xóchitl instructed the girls to relax their breathing as she wanted them to relax so that their soul could feel their emotions and let them be in a peaceful environment. While Pixel and Jean were meditating, Xóchitl sensed the girls' aura. Having the girls in total darkness, they tried to keep their heads as straightforward as possible and keep themselves as calm as possible. Meditating was something the girls didn't expect themselves to do, which surprised them, but was necessary for them to survive. The girls' breathing became calmer, making Xóchitl notice and keep focus on their aura.
Pixel opens her eyes, and only she can see the darkness. Pixel looked around, stood up, and examined her surroundings. She saw how empty it was and wondered why. Pixel decided to take a step and walk through the empty barrenness of her mind. While Pixel kept walking and checking the place out, unexpectedly, she felt the ground shake intensely, but it soon stopped. Before Pixel could question what happened, a puddle of black with a mixture of blue yale color sprouted from the ground and soon made Pixel fall. Pixel gasped as she fell through the emptiness and crashed into the ground. Pixel groans as she gets up and grumbles in pain. While Pixel got up, the same puddles that she saw started dripping on her.
"Ew! What the hell are these?" Questioned Pixel as she rubbed off the strange, dark substance from her arms. As Pixel got the substance off her arms, a bright light illuminated in the distance, grabbing Pixel's attention. Once she gets close, the brightness reveals a golden lyre that Pixel quickly recognizes.
"Is–Is that dad's old lyre? What is it doing here?" Questioned Pixel as she tried reaching for it. But an echoing male voice was heard, frightening Pixel.
"It's almost time for you to learn your destiny, o' fellow protector." Pixel jolted away in fear as she checked her surroundings.
"Who are you?! What is this protector stuff?!?" Asked Pixel, but nobody responded to her. Pixel sighed as she extended her arms to reach the lyre, yet, she felt something behind her. As Pixel turned around, she soon succumbed to the same puddle, making Pixel come back to reality. She falls on her back, her eyes widened open, and breathing heavily. Xóchitl immediately opened her eyes and could still tell something was wrong, as something or someone haunted her mind.
"Take it easy, Pixel. What happened? What did you see?" Asked Xóchitl, going up to her and resting her hand on Pixel's right shoulder. Pixel swallowed her saliva as she controlled her breathing. She never expected to feel so real that it frightened her, and she needed to find out what all those mysterious occurrences that she had just experienced were.
"A lot happened. First, the ground started shaking, and then this mysterious black and dark blue puddle emerged. From there, I started falling. While falling, I crashed into the ground, and soon, the same substance fell on my arms. I scrubbed off this weird substance, and a bright light shone in the distance as I got it off. As I got close, the brightness faded to reveal a golden lyre that looked identical to the one I have at home," explained Pixel as Xóchitl became stunned as a smile formed on her face, finally meeting the upcoming protector. Pixel then looks up as Xóchitl changes her expression to a serious one and sighs.
"As I only stared at the lyre, I heard a voice. I keep hearing the same voice when I pray and walk past the statue of the God of Light. The voice said It's almost time for me to learn my destiny, o fellow protector. What does it even mean?" Asked Pixel, moving her arms back and staring at the wooden ceiling.
"Pixel, listen to me. Relax. All of these strange occurrences are only the beginning. The lyre your family wields has a history that you will soon find out later throughout the future. For now, please take a deep breath and let it all out. I promise you that your answers will come," reassured Xóchitl as Pixel looked at her and knew it was too early to be worried.
"Now, let's do this again. Start meditating." Pixel huffed as she stood straight and went back to meditating. Xóchitl would love to explain everything to her and her family history, but it would put a lot of pressure and stress that Xóchitl prefers to let Pixel worry about one thing and focus on her goal, saving her younger brother. Answers will soon come to Pixel as time passes and prepares Pixel for the big reveal. Pixel closed her eyes once more and did the same procedure.
The land of Zesa was alive with the sounds of celebration as the Novele people welcomed the Celebration of the Gods' Eve. Pixel and Jean, two visitors to the land, marveled at the villagers' unique ways of commemorating the momentous occasion. Everybody filled the air with the rhythm of music and the cadence of dancing feet as the villagers moved in perfect unison, chanting and singing songs that the visitors could only presume the tribe's native tongue. The girls watched in awe as the villagers gifted clothes and food to one another, and the festive atmosphere was palpable.
Despite being new to this custom, Pixel and Jean felt a sense of warmth and appreciation for the villagers and their unique celebration of the Festival of the Gods. The tribe warmly welcomed Pixel and Jean into the fold and soon found themselves dancing and singing with the others. At first, the girls were unfamiliar with the tribe's dance, but they quickly learned the steps and began to have fun with the rest of the crowd. The positive energy of the night was infectious, and the people cheered louder as the excitement grew.
Meanwhile, Xóchitl and Lee stood in front of Xóchitl's house, watching the girls enjoy the festivities with the tribe. Xóchitl was surprised to see Maya, a girl who was always shy and rarely ventured out of the house, in the thick of the dance. Maya had been brought into the middle of the crowd by Jean, who had grabbed her wrist and encouraged her to join in. Although initially embarrassed, Maya quickly smiled and laughed with the others. Xóchitl was pleased to see how close Maya had become with the visitors, as she rarely left the house except for important meetings or chores. The Celebration of the Gods Eve had brought everyone together in joy and celebration, and the night was one that Pixel, Jean, and Maya would never forget. Lee smiles as he leans against the wooden railings and watches how festive the Novele tribe can be. It fascinates him how people can gather around and perform their acts. His eyes roam through the people who danced and eyed Jean. Jean smiled brightly alongside Maya. But soon, his eyes wander towards Pixel, and he sees her watching the people dance and trying not to miss the rhythm flow. Lee lays his head on the palms of his hands and tilts his head to the left, smiling. Xóchitl didn't move her head but shifted her eyes to stare at Lee as she spotted his strange smile.
"Why don't you join the girls and enjoy the festival?" Asked Xóchitl, now facing him and smiling.
"Aww, that would be delightful, Xóchitl. But I just ate three plates of peach cake, and I'm full. Perhaps next year," assured Lee as he didn't face Xóchitl.
"Such a shame, Lee. Last year you didn't join, and not even this year. And it's always that you eat three plates of peach cake. You love it so much, huh?" Asked Xóchitl, folding her arms.
"What can I say? Those delicious peach cakes are my favorite! The peach cakes are better eaten in the Celebration of the Gods as if the Four Gods themselves blessed them!" rejoiced Lee, earning a strange look from Xóchitl before chuckling.
"You're the first ever to say the Four Gods instead of the God of Light," said Xóchitl, intrigued.
"You have to show love to the Four Gods, as they're the creators of everything. But how sad, nobody shows more attention than the God Light," sighed Lee as she straightened her back and folded her arms.
"Truly," agreed Xóchitl as she gazed at the night sky. Lee continued staring at Pixel as she ran up to Jean and Maya, who were talking and laughing.
'Shows more attention than the God of Darkness,' thought Lee as he stood straight and returned inside.
Soon, when the clock turned midnight, the bell above the shrine rang, and everyone clapped their hands together as they began to chant. Out of the shrine came four priests carrying the statue of the Light God and the Four Gods. Pixel and Jean move their hands together and close their eyes, praying and showing respect.
'Pro...tec...tor.'
'There's that voice again. Not a clue what it wants with me, but I'm ignoring it,' thought Pixel as she kept praying. Once the clock struck 1 PM, the priest returned to the shrine, and everyone returned to their house to sleep. But as the girls lay on their beds, Pixel blankly stared at the ceiling as she couldn't get her mind out of the strange voice, the weird substance, and her father's lyre.
'What is going on?!? Why do I hear voices when I stare at a God of Light statue? Am I going crazy? Who is even trying to speak to me, and why do they keep referring to me as a protector? And what is that weird ass substance? Why does it even show my father's lyre?!? Bullshit! I need an answer,' thought Pixel as she rolled to her side and stared at the wall.
"Oh, you will soon find out, protector," chuckled an echoing male voice. Pixel jumped up to her feet as she anxiously checked her surroundings. All she can see is darkness and the moonlight illuminating the window.
"Who's there?!" Asked Pixel, trying to find the uninvited figure. Jean yawns as she opens her eyes and notices Pixel up and looking agitated. Jean yawns once more as she steers up and tiredly rubs her eyes.
"What's going on, Pixel?" Jean asked as she grabbed Pixel's attention.
"I heard a voice answering my question. Well, I questioned it in my head, which is why I got up," explained Pixel as she kept checking the room. Jean looks around and sees nothing.
"You're tired, Pixel. Perhaps the voice came from your dream," reassured Jean as she lay back down and closed her eyes.
"No, I swear I wasn't even sleeping, Jean! I—!" Pixel stops as she sees Jean already asleep, making Pixel huff in annoyance. Pixel lies back down and closes her eyes, letting it succumb to darkness. As Pixel drifted to sleep, a pair of smiling eyes appeared in the corner of the room, and he chuckled in amusement.
"Sleep tight, protector. Because your life will turn upside down." With that, the smiling eyes disappeared.