Ethereal Ascendance: A Journey of Transformation

"Um..."

I was at a loss for words. Is this girl's brain filled with lust? No, wait - she doesn't even have that now!

I used to think Nicola trying to hit on me was going too far. But after comparing, I realized she was very graceful! Given Cyra's background as a rich playboy, her shamelessness exposed her true tastes.

"Looks like what Reed said was right! She told me everyone in our class might have got transported here, but I didn't believe it..."

Cyra murmured as she sat down next to me.

"So you guys got stranded in the outside world and didn't get rescued in time?"

"That's right! We only found out today there were others still alive."

Nicola nodded, and quickly followed up,

"By the way, where is Reed now?"

"She's always soaking in the angel archives!"

Cyra glanced at her.

"You know...she was top smart in our class!"

"I see, that does fit her studious personality. No wonder she was top."

Thinking about Reed's extreme love for learning, I understood completely.

"So it is just the two of you who survived? No one else at all?"

I asked unwillingly, hoping there might be more. Although our reunion was a bit silly, it did confirm my guess that our whole class got transported together.

"No one else!"

She shook her head.

"Elara told us before it was only us two. Finding out about you guys today already surprised me."

"Couldn't other survivors be wandering the human world like us?"

I asked Nicola.

"Unlikely!"

Nicola shook her head.

"It's been so long already. If there were, they would have exposed themselves by now."

"I guess so. Being mysteriously transported to this world and turned into angels...who has time to care if anyone else survived! And we can only stay in Edenmere, not going to the outside world. In Edenmere nothing but forests everywhere..."

Cyra grumbled nonstop, seeming very bottled up.

"You guys have been here in Edenmere for about a month right? What have you been doing every day?"

Seeing her state, I asked worriedly. She's still so unsettled even after transforming. With Edenmere being almost all angels and light elves, it was like a wolf entering a flock of sheep. Who knows how many cute angel girls she victimized.

"What else can I do? I'm bored to death every day!"

Hearing me, Cyra immediately showed a helpless expression.

"Other than the basic knowledge and combat magic classes we have to take every day, there's nothing to do! And the angels here have no sense of romance at all. I touched them and they just stared blankly asking what I was doing. I can't even push them down if I want, they're all stronger than me. It kills my mood."

"And the only girl who showed a reaction today, she turned out to be someone I know!"

She looked at me curiously.

"Oh right, who were you again? Please don't tell me you were some guy classmate before too."

"Well..."

I smiled at her awkwardly.

"Sorry to disappoint, I'm Flynn."

"I knew it!"

The moment Cyra heard, she wailed loudly, knelt to the ground, drew a cross on her chest, put her hands together and started praying nonstop out the window.

"This must be punishment! May God forgive me..."

"Now you see why I said she is Cyrus..."

I smiled bitterly at Nicola and whispered.

"She really is him..."

Seeing the situation, Nicola also sighed, no longer doubting at all.

"And she looks exactly like Michelle too."

"Who knows? Maybe the world is just magical like that."

I was also completely confused by this whole issue. Too lazy to think more about it.

"You became an angel but still begging God for forgiveness?"

Seeing Cyra continuously praying there, I felt it was odd. As a devout follower shouldn't she be happy to become an actual angel?

"But the angels here don't believe in the Lord!"

Cyra cried and turned back to me.

"When I mention the Lord's name, they say they never believed 'that fraud'! And the Lord is a liar! It's like I got forced into a cult!"

"Who do they believe in then?"

I suddenly remembered angels indeed don't believe in God and have a precarious relationship with the True Church. My head started hurting again. This stuff was so complicated.

"Not sure..."

Even Cyra didn't understand this question.

"These angels are strange. It's like they have their own gods, more than one, and they seem to be angels too. There are statues of two twelve-winged angels in the center of the Sanctum. They're said to be the angels' progenitors."

"Progenitors?"

I was dumbfounded too. Angels are all female so how can they have progenitors? And those twelve wings reminded me of Michelle and Nicola's future self. Looks like twelve wings is the highest rank for angels.

"That's right!"

Cyra said mysteriously to us in a low voice.

"I asked around on purpose. In the angels' legends, all angels were created in the image of the original progenitor angels."

"Why does that legend sound so familiar..."

Nicola couldn't help but cut in.

"It's basically the same as Nuwa creating humans! Like from the same mould."

"I thought the same thing when I heard it!"

Cyra resonated strongly.

"But angels only have one gender and can't reproduce like humans. So the key point is still that angel descent formation!"

"I heard that formation is used to give rise to newborn angels. And that might be why we got transported too. But there are still many confusing parts..."

Speaking of the angel descent formation, I felt there were lots of doubts about it. Just as I wanted to inquire more, I saw Casey and another four-winged angel I hadn't met walk into the room from outside.

"Feliciana and Nicola, Elara just got back. You can go see her now."

Casey said to us.

"Isn't this Cyra?"

The unfamiliar four-winged angel suddenly spoke up when she saw Cyra.

"What a coincidence. I heard you guys just happened to be born in the same batch. Why not go see Lady Elara together?"

"No problem!"

Cyra readily agreed then secretly said to me,

"Weren't you wondering about the angel descent formation? This is a good chance to directly ask and get it cleared up."

"Good point!"

I nodded. Wasn't the whole reason for coming to Edenmere to figure these things out?

"Then lead the way please."

Nicola gestured to them. And so we left the room, following behind Casey and the others along the long corridor.

"So you're called Feliciana now, and Reilly is Nicola?"

On the way, Cyra suddenly whispered to me.

"How did you know?"

I was startled. I didn't remember ever telling her our current names so I was surprised and asked back.

"Just a feeling! We were fated to meet!"

Cyra blinked playfully at me.

"Feliciana sounds similar to Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. Did you come up with that name yourself?"

"No, someone else named me."

I didn't know why she cared about this.

"But Nicola was named by herself."

"Nicola..."

She murmured for a bit then suddenly laughed.

"Isn't that the name of a female celebrity? Can't believe Reilly stole someone else's name!"

"And how are you one to talk?"

Seeing her shamelessness, I sarcastically retorted.

"Do you know what Cyra represents?"

"Of course I know! But I have valid reasons!"

Upon hearing me, Cyra hurried to explain herself to me.

"My original name was Cyrus. I believed in God. And now I got turned into an actual angel. So using this name fits perfectly!"

"Not bad. Riding on the coattails of your former name!"

I had to admit, after her explanation, it did seem rather suitable for her.

"You've probably heard about it already. There's also a religion called the True Church in the outside world. And their god is named Yawee."

"That's right! When I first heard I thought it was so magical. This must be the Lord manifesting miracles, spreading his gospel to this world too!"

Hearing me, Cyra immediately started praising her god.

"But do you know what position Cyra holds in the True Church?"

Seeing her state, I couldn't help but grin and ask.

"Shouldn't it be an angel?"

Sure enough, she seemed to sense the impending crisis from my words.

"But back then, when those angels heard my name, they even asked me if I was the holy angel from the Divine Council..."

"No. An angel yes. And indeed a holy angel..."

I tried my best to hold in my laugh and said seriously,

"But Cyra has another special position in the True Church - she's Yawee's wife! One of the founding members of the True Church!"

"Oh my god!"

The moment Cyra heard me, her entire face collapsed. She flopped to the ground, kneeling again and started praying nonstop toward the window, begging for forgiveness.

"Hahahaha!"

I could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing while pounding Nicola's back.

"Feliciana, you're quite strong now. Don't hit so hard..."

Nicola said in pain but still had a smile on her face.

"What's going on with Cyra?"

Hearing the noise, Casey and the rest walking ahead turned back, confused about the situation.

"Nothing much, just asking her God for forgiveness!"

I removed my hand from Nicola's back and explained.

"Does Cyra still believe in other gods too?"

Seeing Cyra praying towards the window, Casey curiously asked.

"Her pose there...it's almost like those True Church followers right?"

"You didn't even know about this?"

The four-winged angel beside her couldn't help butting in.

"For this batch of newborn angels, the other one was fine but Cyra came preloaded with faith. She has fixed times every day for prayer and worship.

Then looked towards me and Nicola suspiciously,

"Seeing how you two were stranded outside for so long, hopefully you haven't been poisoned by those True Church zealots right?"