'Please don't blame her....'
Kyran heard a distant voice echo throughout the darkness.
'... I made my choice....'
'Who...?' He tried to speak but heard no sound come out of his mouth.
Still, he might have wanted to know who was speaking, but the truth, he found the voice familiar.
'I'm sorry, Nar.'
When Kyran heard that name, his chest constricted, and a familiar irksome emotion came over him.
'It seems... I can no longer impose on that reward...'
'Reward? What reward...?' Kyran asked, though he knew it was futile because his voice would not come out.
'I had really hoped to see you at least once...'
Suddenly, a blinding light filled Kyran's perspective as several scenes overlapped before his mind's eye.
There was a scene of a shabby girl in the cave trying to claw through a cave's wall, looking like a squirming worm.
Another scene showed the same girl, half-naked, with a body full of festering wounds.
But another scene showed this girl fully groomed, looking very different from the young girl in the cave. She even looked radiant, and there was something about the way she smiled that left people wanting to stare at her.
A few more scenes showing this girl, but seemingly growing beautiful each time, filled Kyran's view.
Then there was a scene where she appeared embarrassed, saying she wanted to 'see' someone as her reward.
By this time, Kyran's muddled mind started to clear as the events that led him to wake in this darkness came crashing back on him.
Ruin summoning a red pillar of light that distracted Kyran...
Cade shouting something while looking at the rift in the sky...
The rift sucking in everything within its range...
Stella looking on with an aggrieved expression...
Finally, Obstruction appearing behind a half-conscious Cyneah....
But then, Cyneah's mouth slowly opened as she looked straight ahead while saying words that flowed into Kyran's head.
'I'm sorry....'
Kyran's eyes snapped open.
"Big brother Kyran!"
Something round and heavy suddenly dropped on Kyran's chest, making him yell in pain, "Argh!"
"Kyra! Don't do that! He's still recovering!"
A gentle voice, obviously from a young woman, scolded while lifting the round and heavy 'thing' that dropped on Kyran.
Kyran, still feeling somewhat disoriented, looked to his side while still lying on a bed.
"But! He has been sleeping for days, and now, he is finally awake! Kyra wants to play with him!"
In that instant, Kyran finally realized that the 'thing' that fell on him was none other than Kyra, who was currently struggling out of Pheobe's hold.
'Kyra... Sis Pheobe...' Kyran could not help but blink at the two familiar faces that greeted him as he woke up.
"How...?"
Pheobe, hearing Kyran's faint question, looked at him while still keeping Kyra in check.
"Kyran? Have you truly regained— ah! No, lie down first! I'll tell the others you're awake. Just rest and lie down."
Pheobe said, getting flustered when Kyran tried to sit up.
"I'm fine..." Kyran told her. However, the moment he forced his body up, he felt a sharp pain in his torso and even felt every bone in his body creak in protest.
"Aahhh! Kyran's dying again!" Kyra wailed in fright after seeing Kyran's complexion turn pale, and he fell back on the bed.
"He's not! Come, let's call the others. Tell them, Kyran's already awake."
"B-but— big brother is—!"
"Kyra...." Kyran called Kyra. However, he realized just saying her name put a great toll on his body. "
"Big brother Kyran!" Kyra replied, looking at Kyran in concern.
Kyran mustered all the strength he could and put on a smile before telling her, "I'm alright. Go with Sis Pheobe and find mother and father, okay?"
Kyra pursed her lips. However, seeing that Kyran had asked her something that sounded like an important mission, she finally relented and said, "Okay. Please don't die until we come back."
"Hush, what are you even saying?" Pheobe scolded Kyra while looking at Kyran apologetically.
But Kyran only chuckled at Kyra's words.
"We'll get the others," Pheobe said with a smile and left the room with a still-worried Kyra.
As soon as the two left, Kyran's expression turned serious. He then started to study how badly he was hurt while studying his surroundings.
Kyran found himself in an unfamiliar room. He used his magic sense, probed the outside, and discovered he was inside a two-story building surrounded by makeshift tents.
He frowned after sensing several injured people inside those tents, most of whom he did not know. Just like him, they were suffering from external and internal injuries.
As Kyran expanded his probing, he finally found a few people he knew. But he was not happy about finding them in those tents. After all, they were injured, and some were even gravely injured.
Kyran closed his eyes and tried to recall what happened before he blacked out. However, no matter how hard he tried, he only recalled Cyneah's apologetic smile and a fleeting 'I'm sorry.'
Recalling the dream he just had, Kyran surprisingly did not feel any remorse. He even felt... light. Whether that was good or not, he did not know yet. However, one thing he was sure of was this feeling was 'bestowed' on him, not his honest feeling.
Kyran retracted his magic sense and took a deep breath. He had a feeling Cyneah was the one who bestowed this 'light and unremorseful' feeling. He also believed that the dream he just had, was not a dream but something that happened between his conscious and unconscious state.
Finally, Kyran could not erase the feeling that Cyneah was the one responsible for his sudden 'blackening-out,' as well.
How did she do it?
Simple.
Cyneah likely succeeded in consuming not only the Macabre Glacier but also Layla or Haylee, who possessed the Soul core and had become the true Soul Emperor.
If Soul magic was used without ill intent, it could actually affect Kyran even with the Void magic's nature protecting him. That thought was quite terrifying. After all, Cyneah effortlessly willed Kyran to lose consciousness.
If she were an enemy, that move could very well lead to Kyran's doom.
Kyran could not help but smile wryly at his strange thoughts. If whatever Cyneah bestowed upon him got lifted, he would not have such strange and random thoughts. He would have started wondering what went wrong. Or why did he not realize what Stella had meant much sooner? Then again, what could he do if he knew? Would he be able to stop Cyneah?
Maybe.
But then, he would probably not stand a chance once Flos and Obstruction went all out. Even if his father and True Void joined forces with him.
Kyran thought this because Obstruction easily created an essence that fooled True Void. The latter did not even realize he was already absorbing an essence. If Obstruction created more of those and had two or three of those handle him, his father, and True Void, respectively., there would probably not have a definite winner.
They might even end up going for a battle of attrition.
As for Flos's area of effect attack that could easily poison several people at once would be effective when Kyran's side was together. Thus, even if they gathered their elites to join in the battle, they would only get killed.
There was also Ruin's arrival and his unpredictable move.
In the first place, Cade and Kyran would not have been distracted by the rift in the sky if Ruin had not summoned that red pillar of light.
That particular move had been the breaking point.
While Kyran was lost in his thoughts, the door to the room opened, and a few people entered.
Rin led the crowd, followed by Anette, Malia, and finally, Stella.
Kyran was not surprised his father was not among them. The latter was probably busy dealing with the aftermath along with his grandfather.
"Kyran," Rin started as they approached.
Kyran mustered the strength he had recovered just now to sit. As he did, he saw Stella looking in his direction but avoiding his eyes.
Recalling Stella had just watched Obstruction take Cyneah, Kyran could not blame her attitude. She probably thought he was angry at her.
In truth, Kyran did not know how he truly felt. At the moment, the only thing he could think of was Cyneah's words telling him not to blame Stella because she had made the decision.
Kyran had not fully understood what Cyneah had meant. But she was probably talking about the whole situation and not only the part where Stella did nothing to stop Obstruction.
"You don't have to get up," Anette told Kyran. "Let us have a look at your wounds first."
"I'm fine, godmother, Chairman Malia," Kyran assured them. "More importantly, please tell me what happened after I blacked out."
"That...."
Rin, Anette, and Malia exchanged glances before looking toward Stella. Because, unlike them, she had been there when he blacked out.
Sensing their eyes on her, Stella sighed before finally looking at Kyran, "You really are a handful at times. Rather than asking what happened the moment you wake up, you should have asked us first how long you have been out, don't you think?"
Kyran smiled wryly, "Kyra already answered that bit."
Seeing the smile on his face, Stella loosened a bit and smiled as well.
"Fine. It may take some time, though. Have Anette and Malia check on your wounds first, then I will answer all your questions."
"Alright," Kyran agreed at once.
Truth be told, he already guessed that although there were many injured people outside, since there was no tension in his mother, godmother, and Malia's faces meant, the battle had already ended.
Nevertheless, he wanted to know how it happened.
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