Chapter 630: Anchor
Damp coldness flickered, immersing her soul. All senses dulled and blurred within the drifting void. Astrid felt as if she’d become a reef along the shoreline, submerged and reemerging with the tide, intermittently suffocating, constantly disrupting her thoughts.
No light. No heat. The silence so deep it resembled the final heat death of the universe, where all energy capable of sustaining movement or life had ceased to exist.
Except for that faint, lingering fragrance, seeing just before her, yet unreachable.
Was she still conscious?
The freedom she once had on the level of consciousness, where every action followed her will, still exists, but now it is overshadowed by a profound emptiness. It was as if walking forward, yet Astrid could no longer feel the breeze brushing past her legs, hear the crisp tap of heels on floor tiles, or even feel that she was moving at all.
A faint frustration born of helplessness filled her mind, attempting to affect her rationality. But thankfully, she already clearly understood her situation and knew such negative emotions would not help her escape. She deliberately ignored their presence.
No Arcanist mage had ever encountered such a scenario during their breakthrough. Not Lyra, the uniquely fated heroine. Not Amalia, who had amplified her power with the Emperor’s Scepter. Not even Charlotte, whose magical talent far surpasses others.
What sets her apart from them?
She didn’t need much thought to know the answer.
Her one-of-a-kind memories from a past life, and the soul derived from them, capable of deciphering Elders speech, transcending this era.
Just like Evelyn, whose abilities were suppressed and unable to interpret Elders speech, Astrid was also being resisted by this force. And since her current magical resonance far exceeded that of most mages, the suppression she faced was even stronger.
Her vision met only darkness, solidified into tangible substance. In this space as vast as the cosmos, Astrid couldn’t even be sure if she was controlling her soul or performing mental stabilization.
But at the very least, she was drawing closer to Charlotte, or rather, strengthening her connection with her, and with reality itself.
As if, on a violently surging sea, she was desperately grasping the hand reaching out from a lifeboat.
A flowing current, piercingly cold, brushed against her ribs. Although her senses should’ve been dulled, they remained acutely sensitive to this sensation. Astrid suppressed the discomfort, ignoring the memory fragments hidden within the floating transparent bubbles, using everything within her control to anchor her soul.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, deeply embedded within Astrid’s soul, also felt that deathly silence.
But unlike Astrid, who could barely feel her own body, Charlotte still retained some perception of her surroundings. Listening to the faint sound of water nearby, feeling the bodily connection formed through their exchange, she tried to awaken Astrid’s spirit.
"Astrid... can you hear me..."
The vast consciousness offered no reply. Along the pathway of their mental link, Charlotte calmed her thoughts, carefully sensing Astrid’s state.
Peaceful. Ethereal. Not a single ripple of emotion.
Compared to a living person, she resembled a statue, perhaps like the absolute beings of divinity found in novels and stories.
An indifferent numbness, spreading gradually along their connection, began affecting Charlotte. She could feel her own will to pull Astrid back weakening.
There’s no need to do this. She can succeed alone.
Think about it, what brought Astrid to this state? Was it yourself? Or you?
Everyone has their own destiny. Let things take their natural course.
Profound adverse welled up like thick mud, burying the desperate hand trying to break free.
Under normal circumstances, Charlotte might have been able to shut out these emotions by sealing her heart. But to maintain the unbroken connection with Astrid, she had to lower her defenses completely, directly facing the same void and meaninglessness that Astrid alone had been enduring.
Could Astrid endure this...
If even Charlotte, who was only affected by the World’s Suppression secondhand, could feel such a distinct sense of detachment, could Astrid, the one truly being targeted, break free?
The next moment, Charlotte realized this doubt was merely a retreat, a prelude to eventual surrender. The tip of her soft pink tongue pressed hard against the fang of the silver-haired girl, using the faint pain to counteract the emotional numbness.
This force, capable of dissolving one’s thoughts into unconscious, floating drift, was more terrifying than any physical method.
"Astrid."
This wasn’t enough. She needed greater contact.
At the same time, Astrid felt that sweet, woody fragrance, seeming slightly stronger than before.
Lady Charlotte... hasn’t severed the connection...
Being unable to perceive the outside world didn’t mean Astrid knew nothing. This reaction clearly indicated that Charlotte had already discovered her predicament.
Reorganizing her consciousness along that sensation, the range of movement seemed to expand slightly due to Charlotte’s presence.
The World’s Suppression was most likely targeting only her. Charlotte wasn’t the intended victim.
And what a coincidence, it was exactly at the point where their souls connected that the void and reality intersected, naturally becoming the bridge through which Astrid could reconnect with her body and the real world.
You don’t belong here. Not to this era. Not to this world.
No one knows your past. No one understands your loneliness. No one comforts your heart.
You’re truly alone, aren’t you?
"..."
Cherry-pink hair fell across her vision. Her delicate face was bathed in soft light. A white shirt and light pink dress fluttered in the wind. A pair of legs clad in white thigh-highs gently swayed before her, the glossy leather of her shoes caught the light.
"Princess Astrid?"
"Mm... sleeping?"
"..."
Her gaze shifted. The figure before her gradually blurred, transforming into another maid, black-haired, black-eyed, composed and serene.
"Miss, you should look over this report."
"I made a red velvet cake. Would Miss like some?"
"..."
"Sister, I love you the most."
"I wish I could always help you, sister."
"..."
"Little Astr, I’m glad you feel that way..."
"It’s alright. Go take a bath. It’s time to rest."
The crimson eyes conjured by her soul shimmered with glistening tears. The clear reflector reflects dazzling, surreal colors.
Pink hair stained red by crimson wine. The small oven on the dark castle floor tiles. The head maid reports calmly in dim light. The warm embrace that held her close, soothing her to sleep with gentle words...
And then, the golden-haired man lying lifelessly on the hospital bed, blood staining the frozen ground in a snow-covered wasteland, and that silver-haired woman whose image had long been worn away by memory, leaving only a blurred silhouette.
No. She wasn’t alone...
She still has many things left to do.
And she hadn’t yet fulfilled that dream, long marked on her plans, but never executed.
To fulfill the regrets of her past life, and together with the one she loved, truly see this new world.
So she absolutely couldn’t... stop here...
...................
"Astrid."
A gentle yet anxious voice roars through the void of consciousness. Astrid’s thoughts suddenly sharpened for a brief moment.
It was Charlotte’s voice.
The sweet fragrance filled her nose. The anchor, once swallowed by the tide, gradually became clear. Along with it, her chaotic spirit began to recover, passively resisting the invisible pressure before her.
"...Lady Charlotte?"
Hearing Astrid’s response, Charlotte’s spirit, previously worn down by the World’s Resistance, also trembled. She increased the flow of her mental energy.
"Keep stabilizing the connection, Astrid."
She didn’t need to be reminded. Astrid was already doing exactly that. She struggled to lift her head, trying to pull her body free from the thick, sticky swamp.
The deep darkness remains. But following the source of the voice, Astrid moves her otherwise uncontrollable soul, reaching forward.
A faint light appeared. As if touching something, warmth and radiation spread out, accompanied by a reassuring force.
For just an instant, their consciousness linked completely. Their mental energies fully converged. Charlotte enveloped Astrid’s soul, cutting off the direct suppression from the outside world, just as she had during past resonances, using her own soul to nurture and stabilize.
Worry. Fear. Relief after surviving danger. Tension refused to let go.
Charlotte’s emotions became crystal clear to Astrid. At the same time, the fleeting doubts, dizziness, and momentary loneliness Astrid had just experienced were faithfully transmitted back to her.
Astrid...
Knowing this wasn’t the time for deeper reflection, Charlotte focused on isolating the external interference, fully covering Astrid with her spirit. Physically, their bodies were nearly pressed tightly together as well.
In the void, the hand extended towards Astrid was finally grasped. The silver-haired girl steadied her mind and pulled with all her strength.
Instantly, as if light had burst through the sky, the suffocating sensation of sinking into the deep sea disappeared as quickly as the rising tide.
Once their mental energy was fully stabilized... then they could sever the connection...
Neither Charlotte nor Astrid knew how long this suppression would last. The best course was for Astrid to stabilize her Arcanist-mage-level spirit while Charlotte bore the brunt, ensuring that even if her little aunt’s support ended, she could still resist using her own mental strength.
The clock ticked slowly. Several long minutes passed. The once-unstable mental energy, through Astrid’s deliberate control and Charlotte’s patient nurturing, gradually calmed, transforming into a deep, tranquil pond.
Consolidating an Arcanist mage’s mental strength completely will take at least half a year. Achieving surface-level calm was already sufficient for now.
In the laboratory, Astrid opened her eyes, gazing at the dark-haired beauty inches away. Her eyelashes trembled slightly.
Soft breaths brushed against her cheek. Her lips continuously felt moist, warm contact. The smooth foreign object in her mouth, stirred unconsciously by her tongue, gently coiled around hers.
Dazed, Astrid, who had shared many intimate moments with her lover, immediately realized what it was. Suppressing the spontaneous heat rising in her body, she made no deliberate movement.
After a moment, confirming Astrid was stable and no longer needed nurturing, Charlotte also withdrew from the state of mental resonance, slowly lifting her eyelids.
Her clear amber eyes reflected Astrid’s face. Noticing the inappropriateness of their posture, maintained for long to ensure stable mental connection, Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly, then gently parted her pink lips.
The next second, a glistening silver thread snaps midair, landing between her smooth, ample curves, indirectly confirming the intensity of the exchange between Astrid and Charlotte.
Unlike Astrid’s past gentle touch on the neck, this form of connection was clearly more enduring and stable, though excessively intimate in form, requiring a certain level of mental preparation.
But at this moment, both women, having just escaped danger, paid no mind to such minor embarrassment. Charlotte said nothing, patiently waiting for Astrid to steady her breathing and achieve complete unity between soul and body.
Five minutes later, Astrid spoke softly.
"Thank you, Lady Charlotte... I wouldn’t have awakened without your help..."
That overwhelming sense of rejection and suffocation, if she had resisted it alone, she had no idea when she would’ve regained consciousness.
Following the plot of past-life fairy tales, perhaps only a knight’s return and a kiss to her sleeping imperial princess could have awakened her. From the entire process of mental stabilization, the more and more significant real-world anchors she had, the more they helped her awaken. Lyra, as her lover, perfectly fulfilled this role.
Hearing Astrid’s words, Charlotte, who tightly held her, parted her lips but didn’t loosen her pale arms or long legs, continuing to encircle the girl in her embrace.
"As long as you’re safe..."
Charlotte’s voice carried extra weariness, clearly a side effect of intense mental energy expenditure.
At the moment resonance ended, Charlotte rarely felt discomfort in her soul. A sensation not experienced since her ascension to Arcanist mage, it had reappeared today.
She hadn’t expected even mid-tier Arcanist-level mental strength to be so strained when resisting the World’s Resistance.
It feels like her soul was torn in half.
A delicate, fair hand gently cupped Astrid’s face. Her fingertips brushed the silver hair falling over the girl’s shoulder. Charlotte softly swayed her gaze, speaking in a low voice.
"I nearly thought... I’d lose you again..."
Just a little more, and the person before her would have disappeared like mist, completely disappearing from her sight.
Just like before. Charlotte could only watch helplessly as Astrid drifted further away, rejecting every word of advice or concern, rarely seen, like facing a stranger unwilling to lower any guard.
"...Astrid."
Charlotte softly repeated the other’s name, pressing her cheek close. Their smooth skin touched without distance, letting her feel the warm breath from the girl’s nose and the temperature of her skin.
"Don’t go..."
Charlotte’s tone carried a faint plea.
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