Chapter 285 Seeing things from the outside perspective?
White Dragon Labyrinth Exploration Arc.
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(POV: Akashic Records)
Lumiere's eyes narrowed as he surveyed their surroundings.
"This place... it feels like I've seen it somewhere before," he murmured.
"I don't know, maybe..." said Ravenna.
Lumiere felt like he'd either "been" or "seen" the place.
Ravenna glanced at him, her eyes scanning the village before taking a hesitant step forward.
The village sprawled out before them, a cluster of humble dwellings crafted from mud, thatch, and rocks, with touches of wood here and there. There was the heavy scent of earth and the distant sound of shuffling feet. Commoners traversed the narrow streets, clad in tattered brown and white rags. On their faces, tiredness was evident.
"Well, let's see if they can tell us anything..." said Lumiere.
Ravenna's lips curled into a frown as she turned to Lumiere.
"I don't think these people will be of any help to us," she said, her words tinged with caution.
Lumiere sighed heavily as he grasped Ravenna's arm gently.
"Come on, no time for that now, we need to find our way out of this labyrinth, and that means we need to know where we're heading. These villagers might just know how, after all they live here... If that makes any sense..."
Ravenna's breath caught in her throat as she glanced around, her hands trembling ever so slightly.
Her eyes met Lumiere's, uncertainty swimming in their depths.
"I... I don't know. It just feels... wrong, somehow," she stuttered.
Lumiere's smile was gentle as he turned his head to face her, concern etched into each line of his face.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Ravenna's head dipped slightly, her voice coming out as a whisper. "Yes, I'm fine," she murmured, her sorrow hidden beneath a curtain of raven-black hair.
Right after, Lumiere took a step out of the alleyway, Ravenna lingering behind for a moment longer, her hand pressed gently against the rough stone wall. As she followed in Lumiere's wake, their footsteps synced.
And soon, they were fully in the bustling village.
Villagers came and went, their weary bodies focused on their own meager tasks.
Lumiere approached one.
Naturally, presenting himself in a polite manner he asked.
"Excuse me, sir. Do you happen to know the way to the next city?"
That was the best way to describe the next place they'd be heading to in the labyrinth.
The person who was meant to be guiding him was Ravenna, but he had a feeling she didn't expect something like this would pop up.
So the idea was simple — get them out of their current location so they? he can advance with Ravenna.
The villager's eyes remained fixed on the ground, his lips forming a tight line as he refused to acknowledge Lumiere's presence.
Lumiere's brows furrowed in frustration as he muttered under his breath, "These guys seem awfully rude."
Ravenna, standing a few steps behind Lumiere, stayed silent, her black hair cascading over her face, concealing her deep sadness.
"Ra... Ravenna? Ravenna? Ravenna?"
Lumiere called her name three times.
Until finally, she responded with a distant "yeah," her words stumbling out as if lost in her own thoughts.
She wasn't like this, at least, as far as Lumiere knew.
He leaned closer to her, peering into the depths of her eyes.
"Is there something on your mind?" he asked gently.
She hesitated for a moment before apologizing softly, "I'm sorry... I was just lost in my own thoughts. It's nothing important."
Lumiere tilted his head slightly, his eyes lingering on Ravenna's face.
"Are you sure? If there's something that can help us, we should share it."
Given his recent observations, he felt Ravenna knew more than she chose to let on.
Still, there was no right way to approach her with this thought.
She took a deep breath, her gaze finally meeting Lumiere's.
"I'm not sure if it'll be relevant..."
"At this point, anything is relevant," Lumiere sighed.
"Nevermind, so what about the villagers."
"Guess I'll have to ask another one of these guys."
"Hm, yeah."
From her perspective, she believed she successfully changed the subject.
In truth, Lumiere just let it be. He didn't see the need to persist.
Lumiere turned to another villager, a middle-aged woman with a worn face and a gentle smile.
"Excuse me miss I'd like to kn—"
Why did he suddenly pause?
A simple answer would be because he was shocked.
Because the moment he extended his hand towards her, intending to make contact. His hand passed through her as if she were nothing more than a figment of his imagination.
Lumiere was shocked to his core. "What?" he said.
He couldn't wrap his mind around this bizarre phenomenon, so he tried again and again, attempting to touch different villagers. Each time, his hand effortlessly glided through their bodies.
Confusion etched on his face, Lumiere halted and studied his hand, desperation lacing his words as he turned towards Ravenna.
"These people... they aren't real?"
Yes.
Simply projections.
Ravenna, deep in thought, remained silent. "I... Guess..."
Suddenly regaining his composure, Lumiere inquired, "What do we do now? You still know the way out, right?"
Ravenna nodded. "I'm not sure enough, but it's better than staying here."
"Definitely," Lumiere replied softly.
"At least now you understand why I said searching here is a waste of time."
"Hah," he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I guess you were right."
They continued their journey.
While Ravenna kept moving forward, Lumiere looked around.
The interactions between the incorporeal villagers and himself continued — he walked through them as though they were ghostly apparitions.
Suddenly, without warning, the scene shifted abruptly, as if skipping frames in a haphazardly spliced film. The once-vibrant village now transformed into a serene forest.
Standing a few meters away, they spotted a young girl twirling amongst the blossoming flora, her laughter echoing through the tranquil surroundings.
"Huh?"
Lumiere furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Where... where are we now?"
Instead of answering, Ravenna focused her gaze on the young girl.
"..."
"I think we're still around that village..."
"..."
"Ravenna...?"
"..."
She didn't give Lumiere even one response.
"( She's been acting weird since we got hear... )" (Lumiere)
He decided to watch the small girl.
"Pretty flowers," she said.
She delicately reached out to touch a vibrant flower, but instead of blooming under her gentle touch, the flower withered and died, its petals crumbling into dust.
The grass beneath her feet followed suit, turning brown and lifeless as if touched by a cursed hand.
Lumiere could see the fear and confusion on the girl's innocent face.
Her voice quivered as she stuttered, "Wh-what's happening?"
Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.
With each step she took, more destruction befalling the once-lush forest.
Trees wilted and shriveled, their leaves turning to ash and falling to the ground.
The once lively creatures of the forest, rabbits hopping playfully and donkeys grazing peacefully, dropped lifeless to the ground.
Lumiere's heart wrenched at the tragic sight, and he could feel his own helplessness growing.
Ravenna, her fists clenched tightly, watched the devastation unfold before her eyes.
Anger flashed in her gaze, her teeth grinding with frustration.
The girl, overwhelmed by grief and terror, clutched her head and let out an agonizing scream.
"STOOOOOOP!!"
On hearing this...
Lumiere attempted to reach out to the girl, but his hand passed through her once again.
Just like the others, she was incorporeal
"Damn it! I forgot," he muttered.
In the blink of an eye, reality shifted yet again, transporting Lumiere and Ravenna back to the village.
The girl stood alone in the center of the desolate square.
Corpses of the villagers lay strewn across the ground.
Their bodies reduced to mere bones and rotting flesh.
"What the hell is going on...?"
"..."
Ravenna remained silent.
And then finally, the question Lumiere had been avoiding.
"Ravenna... are these... your memories?"
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