KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess-Chapter 106: [] Seven Stars Wear Different Faces

Rachel pushed open the door and entered. Xavier followed, stepping from the cold street into a warm, dimly lit space that smelled of spiced wine and perfume.

The Golden Fox was clearly no ordinary tavern. The main room featured plush chairs and low tables arranged for private conversations. Tapestries depicting hunting scenes hung on the walls, and a massive hearth dominated one side of the room. Well-dressed patrons spoke in hushed tones while servers moved silently between tables.

A beautiful woman with purple hair and wearing a flowing black dress approached them. She looked... familiar.

"Welcome to The Golden Fox," she said. "How may I assist you today?"

Rachel stepped forward. "Hello Nessa, it’s Rachel and this is Xavien. We have a meeting with Lukas."

"Of course. He mentioned you might be coming." She gestured toward the back. "Please, follow me."

She led them through the main room and up a curved staircase to the second floor. The hallway was lined with doors, each bearing a different animal carved into the dark wood. Nessa stopped at the last door, which featured a raven with spread wings.

Xavier studied the sway of her hips as they walked. Something about her was hauntingly familiar.

"Nessa," Xavier called out before she could open the door.

She turned. "Yes, Xavien?"

"Why aren’t you dressed for the weather?" he asked, nodding to her thin dress. "It’s freezing outside."

Confusion crossed her face for a moment before her eyes widened with recognition. Relief washed through her expression, followed by something deeper.

"Layers don’t show off my figure," she replied, the corner of her mouth lifting.

He was right. Nessa was Naomi.

She held his gaze for a moment longer, then turned back to the door. "He’s expecting you," she said, opening it.

The room was circular, with windows offering a view of the city below. Bookshelves lined the walls between the windows, filled with leather-bound volumes. A desk occupied the center, behind which sat a man who could only be Lukas.

He was younger than Xavier had expected, perhaps thirty, with sharp features and eyes so dark they appeared black. His hair was the same color, slicked back from his forehead. He wore a deep blue jacket over a black shirt, with a silver chain around his neck.

"The Seer graces me with her presence," Lukas said. "And brings a stranger to my door. How intriguing."

Rachel gave a slight bow. "Lukas."

"Please, sit." He gestured to two chairs before his desk. "Wine? Tea? Something stronger, perhaps?"

"Nothing, thank you," Rachel said, taking a seat.

Xavier remained standing, studying Lukas. The man radiated danger despite his pleasant demeanor. His fingers were adorned with rings, and a dagger with a jeweled hilt lay on the desk within easy reach.

"Your friend is cautious," Lukas noted, smiling at Xavier. "Good. Caution serves well in Vykengard."

"This is Xavien," Rachel said. "He seeks information about others like him."

Lukas leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "And what exactly is he like?"

"Not from Frostfall," Rachel said simply.

Lukas’s smile widened. "Ah. A traveler from distant lands. How fascinating." He turned his attention fully to Xavier. "Please, sit. Tell me your story."

Xavier glanced at Rachel, who nodded slightly. He took the offered chair, keeping his back straight and his hands visible on the armrests.

"I’m looking for my friends," Xavier said. "We were... separated when we arrived here."

"Arrived from where?" Lukas asked, his dark eyes never leaving Xavier’s face.

"From beyond the mountains."

"Beyond the mountains lies only the Shadowlands." Lukas tapped one ringed finger on his desk. "Try again, but this time, don’t insult my intelligence."

Xavier met his gaze. "We came through a gate."

Lukas went still. His eyes widened slightly, and he leaned back in his chair, lips moving silently as if reciting something to himself.

"The Great Prophecy," he murmured.

"What prophecy?" Xavier asked, leaning forward.

Lukas stared at him for a long moment, then stood and walked to one of the bookshelves. He pulled out an ancient-looking volume bound in blue leather and returned to his desk. He opened it carefully, flipping through yellowed pages until he found what he sought.

"This was recorded three hundred years ago by the Seer Elara," he said, glancing at Rachel. "Perhaps one of your predecessors?"

Rachel said nothing, but her jaw tightened.

Lukas cleared his throat and began to read:

"When seven stars fall from distant skies,

Wearing faces not their own,

The Heart of Winter wakes and cries

From atop its frozen throne.

Bound by fate and common cause,

The seven must choose their path:

To shatter winter’s icy jaws,

Or feed the king’s eternal wrath.

The silver flame, the shadow’s veil,

The guardian’s shield, the scholar’s might,

The trickster’s charm, the warrior’s flail,

The healer who walks twixt dark and light.

Should they succeed, the thaw will come,

And spring return to lands long cold.

Should they founder, all warmth succumbs,

As winter’s reign takes final hold."

Lukas closed the book gently. "For centuries, scho

lars have debated its meaning. Most dismissed it as metaphor. Until now."

Xavier frowned, processing the information. "You think we’re these seven stars? People who’ve taken over bodies here?"

"I deal in information, not interpretation," Lukas replied, his fingers drumming once on the book’s cover. "But I find it curious that strangers appear wearing the faces of Frostfall citizens, just as the northern lights have begun to show patterns not seen in three centuries."

Xavier glanced at Rachel, who was watching Lukas. "Do you know where the others might be?" he asked, turning back to Lukas.

"I deal in theories and rumors as much as facts," Lukas said, sliding the ancient book aside. "And in the past week, there have been... oddities. This information I’ll provide without charge, as it may concern matters beyond simple commerce."

Xavier leaned forward, ignoring the throb behind his eyes. "What kind of oddities?"

" Well, hunter Efler has been using some strange phrases no one understands." Lukas paused, watching Xavier’s reaction. "And most notably, Lady Selene Flameheart fell into a mysterious fever three days ago. She collapsed during the Midwinter Council and has been unconscious since."

"Selene Flameheart?"

"Niece to the High Burner of Hearthome. Young, temperamental, politically significant." Lukas tapped his desk with one ring-laden finger. "Her collapse happened around the same time Rachel found you in the snow."

"That can’t be coincidence," Xavier said, the pain in his head sharpening. "What does she look like?"

"Wine-red hair, purple eyes. Beautiful, if you appreciate that sort of thing." Lukas tilted his head. "Why? Is she important to you?"

Xavier glanced at Rachel, who gave him a slight nod. "She might be one of my friends."

"Interesting." Lukas stood, walking to the window. "The distance between Vykengard and Hearthome is considerable. A fortnight by horse in good weather."

"How much for transportation?" Xavier asked.

Lukas turned. "Now we come to business. Information is my currency, Xavien from beyond the gate. Tell me something I don’t know about your world, and I’ll consider it payment."

Xavier hesitated. What could he share that wouldn’t change this world? What knowledge was safe?

"Where I come from," Xavier said carefully, "we have weapons that can kill from distances greater than any bow. Machines that fly through the air faster than birds. Devices that let us speak to people across vast distances instantly."

Lukas’s expression remained neutral, but his fingers stopped their rhythmic tapping. "Continue."

"We have medicines that cure diseases your healers would consider fatal. Ways to see inside the human body without cutting it open. Lights that burn without fire."

"You describe magic," Lukas said dismissively.

"Not magic. Science. Knowledge applied systematically." Xavier met his gaze steadily. "The difference is anyone can learn it. It doesn’t require special blood or gifts."

Lukas studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Acceptable. I’ll arrange passage on a trading caravan leaving tomorrow evening from the Eastern Gate. They use the mountain pass—dangerous but faster than the northern route."

"Tomorrow is too late," Xavier said, standing. "I need to leave today."

"The winter between here and Hearthome doesn’t care about your needs," Lukas replied, his voice cooling. "The caravan has the necessary supplies and protection. Without them, you’d freeze before reaching the halfway point."

Rachel touched Xavier’s arm. "He’s right. The passes are treacherous."

Shit. Every moment away from Calypso made his headache worse. If she was in Hearthome, he needed to get there as soon as possible.

"Fine," he conceded. "Tomorrow."

Lukas smiled thinly. "A wise choice."

As they prepared to leave, Lukas added, "One more thing. The prophecy mentions seven stars. If you’ve found two possibly, five remain. I’d be... interested in learning of the others, should you discover them."

Xavier nodded stiffly. "I’ll keep that in mind."

Outside in the corridor, Nessa—Naomi—waited to escort them out. Her gray eyes met Xavier’s, filled with questions she couldn’t ask here.

"This way," she said softly. "Mind the steps on your way down."

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