(╯°Д°）╯

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All 9 girls gathered around and rested their tired, beat up bodies. They had yet to digest this whole predicament: the sudden warp into an unknown world, to finding their friends in the same situation, the giant Cerberus, everything.

 

“So, the last thing you all saw was a black thingy?” Taeyeon questioned.

 

They all nodded.

Jessica rested her chin on her fingers. “Why though... Why just us?”  

 

“Absolutely no clue, ”  Tiffany commented. “We are obviously in another world, that’s for sure.” 

 

“Can’t argue with that,” Sunny agreed. “I’ve only seen that kind of monster in video games.”

 

“This is so .. Wild.. “ Yoona rubbed her temples. 

 

Seohyun observed the older girls in deep thoughts. “Unnies, what do we do now?”

 

Yoona discontinued one side of her temple rubbing and looked at the younger girl.

 

“What can we even do at this point, Seohyun?” She placed her finger back and massaged both sides again, “We’re kids on a kooky planet... Like the TV show, 'LOST'.”

 

“I’ve watched that…. It better not be true.” The thought spooked Tiffany.

 

“Hmm….  I think we should recover from all the hustling,” Sooyoung suggested. “I’m a bit tired from all this chaos. Mentally and physically.”

 

Hyoyeon brightened up. “Yeah, we should take a break and just nap.” 

 

“That sounds good. A few of us should stay awake.” Stated Taeyeon. “Any volunteers?”

 

“Sure, I’ll stay up with ya,” Yuri offered and leaned back on her arms and extended her legs.  

 

“No, Taeyeon. After what happened, you and Yuri are the most beat. You two need to rest!” Tiffany’s eyebrows slanted from the concerned lecture.

 

“… I guess you’re right…” Taeyeon checked her wounds. “Oddly enough, it doesn’t hurt THAT much.”

 

Yuri poked and tapped herself, “Taeyeon’s right… My bruise from earlier doesn't hurt as much as before. I mean, I’m not saying that it doesn’t hurt at all; because it does, it's just bearable.”

 

“That’s weird…” Tiffany grazed her fingers along Taeyeon’s bruised arm. Taeyeon felt indifferent and smiled at the gentle gesture. Tiffany abruptly took her hand off when she saw Taeyeon smile at her, and suddenly felt herself heating up. “I-I’ll help keep watch too.”

 

“That’s settled. The rest of you relax until we wake you to switch. “ Taeyeon leaned back on her arms.

 

Jessica gave Taeyeon a very skeptical look.

 

“What’s with the face?“ Taeyeon chuckled. “Go to sleep, Jessica.“

 

Yuri saw it too and laughed softly. "Are you worried I’ll throw you off the mountain while you’re asleep or something?“

 

"Why you little..." Jessica squinted angrily at Yuri. This oddly familiar anger. "Just FYI, I'm only worried about Taeyeon, not you. So don't flatter yourself."

 

"Harsh..." Yuri shivered and surrendered by raising her two hands.  She had grown accustomed to being alone and having no one to worry for her anymore.

 

"That's fine." Yuri smiled bitterly and shrugged, "I'm used to that."

 

Caught off guard by the reply, Jessica paused with a guilty look on her face. She looked at Yuri whom turned away. The girl was stoic, unreadable, and avoiding eye contact.

 

Jessica parted her lips, her voice was quiet. "Yuri-"

 

Yuri exhaled a sharp, deep beath and waved Jessica off. “Anyway, in Taeyeon's defense, we really aren’t lying, Sica."

 

Jessica blinked excessively which brought her back and glanced at Yuri’s injuries, then she looked at the girl smiling, showing her white pearled teeth; she huffed. “Sica? Is that my new nickname?” 

 

“You don’t like it?” 

 

“No, it’s fine. “ Jessica loosened up and reclined.

 

She smiled and whispered to her self. “I like it.” 

….
 

The sound of birds chirping and nature  gave them a serene atmosphere. If one chooses to not paying any attention to the busted cave and the chaos of nature that was only some feet away from them. At the peak of the cliff, a woman stood with a black blob on her shoulder.

 

“They look peaceful.”

 

“Shall we start with a bang?”

 

“Gotta keep them on their toes.”

….

 

Taeyeon brought her gaze up in the air and watched the clouds drift by. The breeze brushed through all of their hairs. It felt peaceful, like they were on a vacation.

 

It didn’t last long.

*BOOM*

 

“WAAAAHHHH!“ Tiffany sprung up. 

 

Yuri and Taeyeon hastily rose up and stood guard. 

 

As the dust began to fade away, two figures emerged and stepped forward. 

 

“H-H-Hold it right there!“ Taeyeon stuttered. 

 

“Who the heck?!“ Yuri gasped.

 

An elf-like Goddess came forth with silky blonde-silver hair in a beautiful green robe, embedded with gold linens and crystals along the seams. Holding a giant staff with an orb spiraling with various colours. Beside her was a dark, blobbed munchkin.

 

Sooyoung blinked multiple times. “AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” 

 

It wasn’t a dream.

 

“WHO THE HELL IS THAT!?!“  Hyoyeon rudely pointed her index finger at the woman.

 

“Wow…. So pretty... “ Yoona wiped her drool. 

 

The Goddess closed in on the proximity of her and the girls. All the girls looked up; she was over 8 feet tall and beaming. The girls gawked at this unbelievable creature.

 

“Fear not, Chosens. I mean no harm.”

 

The girls remained unmoved.

 

“I am Goddess Martel. The reason why you are all here.”

 

The girls were still gawking at the goddess- like elf.

 

“This is not a nightmare.“  

 

No response.

 

“…....” Martel started to become uncomfortable from their gaze at her. 

 

“Taeyeon, Yoona, Yuri, Sooyoung… “ Martel said disturbingly.  

 

“Please wipe your elongating drool…”

 

Taeyeon, Yoona, Yuri, and Sooyoung, came back to reality and unattractively wiped off their hanging drool. 

 

“I’ve never thought I’d have to say that in my eternal life.“ Martel awkwardly announced.

 

“Who.. Who are you…”  Taeyeon barely uttered.

 

Martel was appalled. “Were you girls not listening to what I had just said?” 

 

They all slowly shook their heads.

 

“Are... You serious...?“ She face palmed.

 

Martel sighed and repeated, “I am Goddess Martel. The reason why you are all here.”

 

The girls replied only with a slow nod.

 

“You are the Chosen ones.”

 

They nodded again.

 

“……..”

 

Martel was already getting a headache from them. “Say something!”

 

“Y-Yes, uhm… Hi , I’m Seohyun, nice to meet you. Please treat me well.”

 

“Aish, not that! I know who you all are !!“ Martel exasperated from the mental frustration.

 

“Okay, enough, this is going nowhere. Let me explain and stop me if you have questions.” Martel raised her staff and created a giant clear sphere barrier around them. They were all lifted from the ground, hanging onto one another as if they were going to fall.

 

“We’re taking off back to the Fortress. “ 

 

“WAAAAAAHH!”

 

“Unnie!!”

 

“OWWWW! LET GO OF MY HAIR!”

 

“YOUR NAILS ARE DIGGING INTO MY SKIN!!”

 

Martel looked back to witness the comical scene behind her. The girls were screaming and hopping around like the floor was hot lava; taking turns clinging onto each other. 

 

“Girls… You won’t fall..” Martel sighed through her tight lips. “If you did, you would’ve by now..”

 

“They’re lively, aren’t they?”

 

Martel scoffed and exhaled, “I’d never expect to come across this kind of group of girls.”

 

In the clear magic sphere, they continued their journey through the vast world and rocketed up to the sky, arriving at an unforeseen, majestic floating fortress.

 

…..

Arriving at the Fortress; home to many kinds of creatures that can be seen hanging out around the watery areas. There were a lot of shallow water to splash around in. The field was uneven in most spots, with large rocks and pillars scattered around.

 

Once the barrier dissolved, a soothing smell of the fortress engulfed them. They landed on healthy, green grass and casted their view on the spacious, tremendous paradise.

 

The girls admired the sparkly water falls,  flowery gardens, beautiful trees, small cute creatures and monsters running around.

 

“We are here,” Martel dispels her barrier.“The Garden of Iselia.”

 

“Whoaaa…. “ They all wobbled their way out like kids in a giant candy store.

 

“This way.” Martel walked forward.

 

Martel ceased her path upon arrival to a beautiful looking pond with many floating flowery-lily pads.

 

However, due to her unexpected cessation, it made Tiffany bump into Martel’s back, causing a chain reaction of more bumping into each other from the girls behind.  

 

Martel shook her head with disappointment. “Have a seat and listen, Chosens.”

 

The girls settled down on the lush,  fresh green grass beside a glistening pond.

 

Martel stood in front of the girls emanating an aura of supremacy.

 

“This is my Fortress, “ Martel widened her arms, and all the butterflies and other flying monsters fluttered around them. “The Garden of Iselia; it is literally a floating piece of terrain that I completely control . No one is able to enter without my consent.”

 

“As you probably have concluded, you are not on planet earth. You girls are in our world, the Digital world. The difference is; we have monsters and creatures. Cute and vicious. Dangerously strong and weak.  And back there, you girls faced against a mediocre monster.” 

 

Martel studied the girls facial expressions. "And why you girls are here, is probably the question that is running through your minds.”

 

“You see, in ancient times, there were a group of humans called, ‘The Chosens ‘ , that contained rare cores. If unified, their powers were unbeatable, even to the Demon lords. They can bring back harmony and the beauty to the world.“

 

“There were previous Chosens that were destined to save our world from the Demon lords. However, every single one of them had failed. They failed because of their selfishness, lack of teamwork, and trust.  And now, our world is being slowly consumed by evil to the point where we needed to call upon the next generation of Chosens.”

 

“Which would be you girls. You girls are our only hope in defeating them and bringing our world back in order.”  

 

The 9 girls sat there, dazed with the rush of information.

 

“Questions?” 

 

“Uhhh…” None of the girls knew where to begin.

 

“I know this is a lot to absorb, but time is ticking.”

 

“Uhm.. Well first off, why out of everyone else in the world, were we chosen?” Taeyeon was the first to ask.

 

“As expected from you, Kim Taeyeon.” Martel relieved a breath. “All of you girls possess the rare cores in your heart. That is simply why you were chosen.“

 

“What is a core?” Seohyun probed.

 

“Finally you’ve spoken, Seo Joo Hyun.” Martel gleefully said. “The core that resides in you is a Spirit in their dormant state; waiting to be unleashed.” 

 

“And with these Cores inside us.. They give us the capability to fight?”

 

“That is correct. Each of you must release the Spirit inside your core to unlock the potential. Also, because of the cores, you girls have superior endurance and tolerance to pain, the healing process is faster; which means you won’t die as quickly as you would back on Earth.”

 

“What if we can’t unlock it?...” Yuri spoke unsurely.

 

“That is why I am here to prevent that from happening. I’m here to help you girls unleash it.” 

 

The girls gave looks of apprehension and uneasiness.

 

“And if we aren’t able to defeat the so called Demon lords?” Sooyoung bit her lip.

 

“There is no if, you MUST defeat it.”

 

“What if we don’t want to?” Jessica asked with a hint of attitude.

 

“You don’t have much of a choice,” Martel gently voiced. “You girls are here for a reason. It’s either you save this world or die.”

 

“And if we die?” Jessica’s serious tone had all eyes on her.

 

Martel shifted straight to Jessica. “Jessica, this is not a game. If you die, you die. Just like any organism. There is no second chance.”

 

“Under any circumstance, you girls cannot die. You MUST NOT die.”

 

The mood sank. Hearing that made the girls feel very unsettled and rattled about the whole thing.

 

“I have a question, “ Yoona raised her hand. “What were those black things we saw back on earth?”

 

“Those black things, is my companion, Teepo.” Martel opened up her hand and had it land on her palm. “This little guy can multiply and shape shift. It helped me search for you guys, however, it got a little messy because of the channel with ... Jessica’s scream and Sooyoung’s food bits.”

 

Martel shook her head and laughed at the incident.

 

“So.. Like, what are you…?” Tiffany blurted out. 

 

“I am the Goddess of the Heavens. I control the flow of Mana and help sustain life to the world. In different parts of the world, I have Seals to diverse the spread of Mana.” 

 

“Then, why do you need us when you’re so powerful?” Tiffany asked again.

 

“It is because I alone, cannot be up to par against a clan of Demon lords. My Seals are weakening. Some of them have been controlled by the Demon lords and they’re using it to take over the world.” 

 

“But, you girls can go against them.”

 

“Wow………” Hyoyeon found her breath again, after holding it in from all the tension. “Demon lords... Spirits... Monsters... This is total kick .”

 

All the girls noticed each other’s expressions; confusion, fear, dumbfounded was plastered openly. Goddess Martel evidently interpreted what they were feeling quite well. She gave them a few minutes to collect themselves before speaking.

 

“Girls, stand up.”

 

The 9 of them did so obediently. 

 

Martel paced right to left, from one girl to the end. She stopped directly at Taeyeon.

 

“You girls are courageous and bold.”

 

She moved and stood in front of Sooyoung and Tiffany, glancing at them both. “Loud. Loud with your Heart.”

 

Sooyoung put her hands in her pockets and looked away. Tiffany sheepishly scratched the side of her head with a finger.

 

She glided angelically to Sunny and Seohyun. “Intelligent.”

 

“Interesting. Peculiar.” She stood in front of  Yoona who happened to have a surprised expression and tilted her head back at close proximity.  And Hyoyeon with a scrunched up face.

 

She halted between Yuri and Jessica. “And Symbolic.” 

 

Martel stepped back and viewed the girls in front of her. 

 

“Out of  all the Chosen’s that I’ve come across...  Never had I encounter such… Strange, colourful characters.. “

 

Martel lifted her hand and swayed it smoothly. She casted a spell that caused golden glitter to shower over the girls. All the girls cuts, bruises, and dirt, are now healed and cleaned out. The girls witnessed all their injuries disappear and smiled at each other.

 

“Now in 30 minutes, I will call you back. Until then you girls may rest or explore the area around here.”

 

The girls ran off like happy little children, as if they hadn’t heard they were the only hope to save the world. 

 

Yuri, Sooyoung, Hyoyeon, Yoona sped off into the open glistening, plush , grassy field.

 

"YAAHOOOOOOOOOO!!"

 

Jessica lazily made her way to a giant, marvelous tree that had a great amount of shade. Along with Taeyeon and Tiffany closely behind. 

 

Sunny and Seohyun casually walked around the majestic land. 

 

“The Digital world needs you. You are the destined ones. “ Martel expressed softly in a hushed tone.

 

“What do you think , Goddess Martel?”

 

“I believe.. They will give us faith. They are the ones.” She watched the girls run around on the field. 

 

“I know it.”

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Hey readers! If there are any questions regarding this chapter, don't hesitate to ask.  Basically, the Cores are Spirits in their dormant state. Once the Spirits are awakened, the Core will erupte and hatch; unleashing their inner Spirits.

So the Cores inside the girls bodies look like this :