Chapter 88

88

Peering into someone else's memories is also a deeply empathetic experience with the emotions they felt at the time.

I already knew this when I received the memory of the small light, and I understood it.

That's why, as this memory flows into my mind now...

The anger, hatred, and humiliation that Theodore felt at the time.

These violent emotions churned within me, causing me great distress.

"Rest is over. We're heading straight to the Norfad base. Carmen, come with me."

"Yes, my lord..."

I already know what will happen next.

My heart in reality pounded heavily. Through Theodore's eyes, I saw myself—Lily Everett, wrapped in loud packaging, from two years ago.

At that moment, I felt a completely different emotion sprout within Theodore.

...No, it was like a disaster. It was a storm that struck without warning. This emotion, which shook him deeply, had no name yet. But I couldn't help but know what it was. That day, we were...

Pierced through the heart by the same emotion.

But you...

Ultimately trampled and ignored that emotion.

It was so special and precious to me...

"...Somnia, I don't want to see this memory. Please!"

I shook my head violently. Soon, the memory scattered, and Somnia's flustered voice reached me.

Sorry. Theodore's emotional state is unstable, making it difficult to organize the memories. Just bear with it a little longer, Lily.

"..."

I closed my eyes, frowned, and bit my lip. Now, Somnia was sharing her senses with me to a lesser extent while quickly reviewing Theodore's memories. It was as if the scenes from a picture book were rapidly flowing into my mind.

Ah! I think I found it!

Somnia suddenly exclaimed. At that moment, the sensory sharing intensified. The images in my mind became clearer, and a desolate wasteland infested with monsters appeared before me.

"My lord! I'll cover your back! Go!"

Carmen's voice echoed through the strange cries of the monsters, and Theodore, enveloped in blue flames, ran alone toward the rift.

A crack in space, as if the world were splitting and breaking, from which monsters poured endlessly.

Theodore killed the monsters charging at him, and after narrowly escaping death several times, he finally reached the rift.

"Damn rift..."

Muttering under his breath, he summoned the power of the Seraphim to begin closing the rift. In the midst of this, he slashed at the monsters escaping from the rift with his sword or burned them with the Seraphim's flames.

The pale blue light that had consumed the air gradually turned transparent, filling the crack.

After a while, the rift was completely closed.

The trace of the rift, which had looked like a broken window, was no longer visible anywhere.

"Hah..."

Overwhelmed by deep fatigue, Theodore collapsed on the spot. But there was no time to rest. Although the rift was closed, many monsters still remained and were harming people at that moment.

So he had to get up again. Just as Theodore was about to rise and grab his sword, that moment came.

This is it.

Somnia whispered in a very low voice, unlike her usual tone. I naturally tensed and stiffened, already deeply engrossed in reviewing the memory.

Just as Theodore was about to get up, his vision went black...

"..."

I could no longer see any more memories.

It was as if that part had been torn out by someone.

The memories after this were not completely erased from Theodore's mind. They were just... scattered in pieces. It seems that someone attacked his mind at this time, causing him to lose his memory.

"Can you restore the scattered memories?"

Of course. When it comes to the minds of intelligent beings, there's nothing I can't do. I'm almost omnipotent.

"Great, impressive. Then, I'll ask you to do it."

Hmm, okay.

Encouraging Somnia, who seemed a bit boastful, somehow made her more efficient.

Thinking that I should praise Somnia more often, I returned to reality for a moment and sighed.

'Sharing senses with Somnia is quite exhausting.'

That must be why Somnia said she wouldn't help until my strength returned to normal.

I took a sip of the juice on the table to replenish my energy. Glancing over, Theodore was leaning against the sofa, his eyes closed as if he were asleep.

He was probably half-asleep. In the quiet room, I quietly observed his motionless face. The deep shadows under his eyes and his gaunt cheeks were clearly visible, but I felt no disturbance.

I just... resented him for feeling the same emotion as me and then casually ignoring it.

My feelings for him were certainly a mix of love and hate. But now, I doubted if any love remained. Perhaps hatred had swallowed up love, or the love, trampled on for too long, had finally shattered into pieces.

I no longer wanted to gather and piece together those fragments. That enthusiasm had long evaporated from within me. So his belated realization, his affection, his regret...

It's all... too late.

I buried the wounded 'me' who once loved you deep within. I hope I can embrace my wounds and sleep quietly.

'Do you understand how exhausted I am?'

Moreover, your now intense feelings... your vows... I can't believe them.

A few days ago, I asked him.

'Your belated feelings are just lingering regrets. Don't you think they'll fade with time?'

'...This feeling is not a lingering regret. It won't fade with time.'

'Everything changes with time. How can you be sure your feelings will remain the same?'

'I am sure. This is the first time I've felt such intense emotions for someone...'

'...'

'That's why, until I die... I will never forget.'

He acted as if he would agree to the divorce as I wished, but he didn't give a clear answer.

It seemed he was trying to persuade me during our alliance.

But I will never be persuaded by him, not even in my dreams.

I just want to live the rest of my life in peace. My resolve is firm.

Being with you... just hurts me.

Trying to love you again? I don't want to do that, not anymore.

'...Transferring your life force to save me... I didn't want that.'

I had Derek destroy the magical artifact. The life force sharing spell on it was forbidden magic. If it continued, Theodore would eventually die.

Transferring all his life to me.

But that's not what I wanted.

If he died trying to save me, I wouldn't be able to forget him, and I would have to carry the weight of my heart for the rest of my life.

I refused that.

'So giving me your life force isn't for me. It's just for your own satisfaction.'

At that moment.

Theodore, who had been quiet, twitched his eyelids.

Something was about to start again.

'Somnia, did you succeed?'

...

'Somnia?'

...I can't believe it.

'Why?'

...Somnia's state was unusual. Just as I was about to ask again, I felt a sudden intensification of the sensory sharing.

I stumbled as if swept away by a strong current but managed to regain my balance. The scene in the memory that entered my vision was as vivid as reality.

Through Theodore's eyes, I saw something bizarre...

It was what he discovered just as he was about to get up from his crouched position.

'...Somnia, what is this?'

...

'Somnia?'

Somnia's state continued to be concerning. I felt Theodore, wary of 'it,' drawing on his elemental power. Narrowing his eyes, he examined 'it' closely.

Its form was, the more I looked, the more bizarre and... extremely terrifying.

'What is this...?'

'What is it? What is this...?'

At that moment, my thoughts aligned with Theodore's in the memory. Then, 'it' seemed to sense Theodore's gaze and twitched. The deep, dark red thing... looked like mud but also like mist. On its formless, strange shape, hundreds, no, thousands of people seemed to be writhing in pain.

'Is it a monster...?'

Just as Theodore, adjusting his sword, cautiously approached it, he was stopped by an unbelievable phenomenon.

Around 'it'... signs of a rift began to appear.

'This is...?'

At that moment, the Seraphim, as if warning or informing Theodore, conveyed its will.

Interpreted, it meant: 'Magic, elemental power, imbalance, destruction, ominous being.'

'...Somnia, this...'

A strong intuition flashed through my mind. The scattered puzzle pieces suddenly fell into place. As if to confirm this deduction, someone appeared behind Theodore, their clothes fluttering.

'...!'

The person, who appeared through a teleportation spell, attacked Theodore before he could defend himself. Blood flowed from Theodore's injured head. But the problem wasn't the head wound. The attacker, that strange person—

'One of Owen's mages...!'

My heart pounded. In the next moment, the strange creature, as if obeying the mage's command, pounced on Theodore, and the memory cut off.

With that, the sensory sharing scattered. At the same time, Somnia, who had separated from Theodore's body, began to rage and lash out wildly.

Unbelievable! This is a desecration! Filthy humans! Mad humans!

Somnia screamed, cursed, and even cried, calling on the Great Spirit. She seemed unable to bear the horror.

I was so flustered that I just stood there, watching Somnia, then turned to check on Theodore. He was still unconscious.

'Please... nothing has gone wrong, right?'

Feeling my heart race with anxiety and shock, I cautiously asked Somnia.

"Somnia, why are you doing this? Tell me the reason. Is Theodore okay?"

...

Somnia, who had been pacing around the room, finally paused as if she had just heard my voice. Then she slowly approached me. The starlit night sky seemed to envelop me. At that moment, the strange creature in Theodore's memory overlapped with Somnia's form.

...Of course, they were completely different. But the similarity I felt... why?

...Humans... created...

"What...? I can't hear you clearly."

Humans... created an artificial spirit!

"What...?"

What... is she talking about? An artificial spirit? A spirit created artificially?

"That's... impossible. How can humans create a spirit? Spirits are..."

All spirits and the order of this world were born from the Great Spirit.

"..."

If humans create a spirit artificially, the spirit will be twisted. It goes against the order.

"Then... what Theodore saw in the memory..."

It's a spirit created by human magic, a spirit that can't be anything. Or perhaps it should be called a ghost. Because its material is...

Somnia paused for a moment, but I already knew what she was going to say.

The many faces and hands of suffering people that protruded from the form of that 'ghost'...

...are the souls of the dead.