Souls Online: Mythic Ascension-Chapter 218: Rose by any other name

Penny’s fingers curled tighter around the needle. The weight of the woman’s gaze, calm and heavy, pressed down like a velvet curtain.

"My name," the woman said, her voice smooth as silk over stone, "is Violetta."

The name hung in the air. It wasn’t just sound. It was sensation. It slid along Penny’s skin like red ink spreading through water. It felt familiar in a way that made no sense at all.

Penny swallowed. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

Violetta’s smile didn’t waver. "Not yet."

She began to circle slowly, never quite touching Penny, but moving with the grace of someone who had no need to rush. Her gown flowed like smoke across the marble floor, picking up the light in crimson streaks.

"This castle doesn’t reveal itself to strangers," Violetta said. "Only those with a thread of my legacy find the door."

Penny frowned. "What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything special."

Violetta stopped and looked directly at her, eyes gleaming like polished garnets. "You have already become one of my kin by entering here. Only those who carry my mark in their blood or spirit can walk these halls."

Penny’s breath caught. "My kin? What does that even mean?"

"It means your creativity is more than just talent. It is a bond, a legacy that ties you to me. You made the mask, you drew the design, you chose the tools all because part of you belongs here."

Penny stared at the needle in her hand, suddenly feeling its weight differently, as if it held the power of that unseen connection.

"You didn’t find this place by chance. You were always meant to be here." Violetta’s voice softened. "Now, the question is what you will do with that."

Penny looked up, the uncertainty in her eyes mixing with something new a flicker of possibility.

Violetta raised her hand slightly, not in warning or threat, but as if she were calming ripples on water.

"You are not dying," she said. "That much, I promise you. The rest will make sense in time."

Penny gave her a flat look. "You say that like it’s supposed to be reassuring. Fun fact, it’s not. People who say ’it will all make sense in time’ usually also forget to mention the monster hiding in the basement."

Violetta’s expression didn’t change. If anything, she looked even more pleased.

"Your questions are not unimportant," she said. "But you are not ready for the answers. Not yet."

Penny groaned and rubbed her face with one hand, the needle still clutched in the other.

"Great. So I just signed some weird cosmic NDA, joined a club I don’t understand, and lost my heartbeat. Sure. This is fine. Totally normal."

A low hum filled the air, not quite a sound, more like the space itself shifting its weight.

Violetta’s gaze softened.

"I cannot keep you here. Not for much longer. This place is not meant to hold you."

Penny opened her mouth to complain, but before the words could even form, her knees gave out. She didn’t collapse so much as slide, as if gravity had taken a sudden interest in her. Her body grew heavier. The marble floor seemed farther away.

She blinked.

Then again.

The world around her was spinning gently, and all the colors began to lose their edges.

"Nope," Penny muttered, trying to focus. "Not passing out. I swear if I wake up in a coffin, Violetta, I will scream."

Her words were sharp, but her limbs no longer listened.

With one last breath, the world tipped, the marble dissolved into shadow, and she faded.

Penny woke up staring at a wooden ceiling.

It took a second for her brain to catch up.

She sat up with a groan, the blanket slipping off her shoulders.

"Okay," she muttered, glancing around the small cabin. "Either I’ve been abducted by forest hipsters or this is the world’s weirdest pop-up art residency."

The walls were made of thick logs, old but sturdy. A single window let in the grey morning light. Dust hung lazily in the air, catching soft beams across the empty floor.

Penny rubbed her face again.

Still had the needle.

Still not dreaming.

Still no heartbeat.

She lay back with a sigh and stared at the ceiling once more.

"Cool. This is fine. Totally normal. Definitely not creepy. Definitely not regretting every life choice that led to this point."

She rolled onto her side and added under her breath, "And I better get some damn answers soon."

-Welcome to Ascension of Souls Online.

-You have now entered the World of Melodia.

-You are currently in the Beginner Village (Beastkin).

-Please Confirm your Status and set your Character Name.

-To check your Status, Please say [Status]

- Your Patron: Violetta has sent you a Gift.

- You have received 50,000 EXP.

- You have leveled up x 8

The sudden notifications caught Penny off guard. She had actually forgotten that she was in a game.

"Oh. Right. The game," she muttered as she slowly sat upright. "Because casually bonding with a maybe-vampire goddess in a marble blood-church wasn’t weird enough."

The system messages just hovered there patiently, as if waiting for her to get over her existential crisis. She stared at the final line.

Penny arched her brow. "Okay, fine. [Status]."

The moment she spoke, a translucent screen appeared in front of her eyes.

-Character Status

-Name: [Not Set]

-Race: Ancient Vampire

-Bloodline: Progenitor Vampire of Creation (0% Awakened)

-Title:

-Class: Craftsman

-Lifestyle: Omnicrafter

- Element: Blood

-Age: 17

-Level: 9 (24500/25600 exp)

-Status: Healthy

-Health: 1000/1000

-Mana: 400/400

-Attack: 5

-Defence: 10

-Dodge: 150

-Strength: 8

-Endurance: 13

-Agility: 10

-Dexterity: 42

-Intelligence: 23

-Wisdom: 37

-Charisma: 40

-Luck: 37

Free Points: 0

Skills: Appraisal (Innate), Crafting (C), Forging (F), Artistic Ability (B), Blood Transfusion, Tailoring (F), Fashion Sense (Innate)

Equipment: Vampiric Needle (Unique)

Penny stared at the status screen, her eyes trailing down the lines like they might change if she squinted hard enough.

Then she saw it.

Race: Ancient Vampire

Bloodline: Progenitor Vampire of Creation (0% Awakened)

She blinked. Once. Twice.

"Of course," she muttered. "Of freaking course. I knew it. Pale goddess with a red obsession, dramatic lighting, and a castle full of weird art vibes? Should’ve put two and two together the moment she said ’kin’ like she was collecting blood relatives."

She flopped back onto the bed, groaning into the air. "I swear, if I start craving type O, I’m setting something on fire."

The screen hovered patiently, glowing faintly, as if waiting for her to catch up with her own nonsense.

Her eyes rolled up to the Name: [Not Set] line.

Penny sat back up, muttering under her breath.

"Might as well commit to the bit."

She tapped the air in front of her. "Name’s Rose."

A soft chime rang out. The name clicked into place.

Name: Rose

"Perfect. Sharp, pretty, and extremely overdramatic. Just like my new patron, apparently."

She shoved the blanket aside and stood, still barefoot on the wooden floor. It creaked faintly under her weight. The air in the cabin was dry, slightly cool. Through the window, she could just make out morning mist curling along the treetops.

Still had the needle.

Still no heartbeat.

Still apparently a fashion-obsessed vampire baby with a god complex waiting to happen.

"Cool," she said flatly. "Just your average morning-after transformation. No big deal."

She crossed the small cabin, feet padding across the wooden floor, and reached for the door. It creaked a little when she touched the handle, cool against her skin. The scent of earth and pine filtered in through the edges, crisp and damp with morning dew.

Penny paused.

"Alright," she muttered. "Time to find Uncle ’Mysterious Cryptic Name That Sounds Like He Bought It Off a Discount Fantasy Generator.’"

She narrowed her eyes at the door.

"Ouroboros. Really. I’m going to roast him for that. He’d better be twice as cool as the name promises or I’m calling him Bob."

Her fingers tightened around the handle.

One last breath.

Then she opened the door.

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