10 Alternate world
"So you did it anyhow."
I was taken aback by the singing voice. I glanced about but couldn't find anything. Neither creature nor shadow can be found.
"I had no choice Than." said a harsh voice
"Then you're perfectly aware that what you're saying is incorrect. We've already talked about what we're going to do with this object."
At the very least, I knew what the sounds I was hearing meant.
"She should have been there already," grumbled the gruff voice. "Than, you're the first to know!"
"You're aware that time in the human world flows at a different pace," Than explained.
"What exactly is it?"
A wail of anguish and a hiccup of surprise broke forth.
"Nyx, Nyx!" Than screamed, "What happened?"
"Nyx!" exclaimed Abriel.
Another agonized grunt.
"Oh, that dreadful door! I'll never get used to that," muttered a high-pitched voice.
"Did you trip over your heels again?" he said, amusement on his face.
"I wasn't able to get all of the shadows in. One of them was a thorn in my side." Nyx answered, "She had persuaded more than half of them to return to their owners."
"That's a secondary consideration. Did you manage to get rid of it?"
"I intended to steal him of his abilities... I hoped I was robbing him of his abilities..."
"But you didn't succeed!"
"Everything is fine with me! You haven't improved! You'd been on the lookout for Pyrrha for millennia, and she'd finally vanished from our radar."
Groans shattered the silence.
"She isn't as powerful as we are. That's all there is to it."
"Were you able to deprive him of his core power?"
The stillness has returned.
"DID YOU TAKE HIS SOUL?"Abriel shouted.
Silence.
"What was the point of being there for so long? Did you take advantage of the opportunity to go to school and earn a degree? If you don't respond, I'll make you vanish off the face of the earth!" Its interrogation continues.
"I was ready to steal his soul when something happened. Nonetheless, I had ensured that this disabled individual was more associated with death than with life... I'm not sure how she was able to link to the other person's consciousness and assist him in escaping. I had, however, broken the three ties and separated his powers, allowing me to more effectively annihilate him. I had cast his soul into the vacuum, and with the help of the others, I had shackled his shadow and barred him from conversing. The only thing that remained was his conscience, which is a very human trait! A sense of right and wrong! However, why did Arum invent anything like this?
"What you're saying is that his conscience escaped."
"Of course."
"You are aware that his consciousness is capable of transmigration, aren't you? You must also be aware, as we are, that it can occur anywhere. Listen to how you failed to enslave a human right here!"
"Did he freeze in his immortality? Enquired a voice I had never heard before. "When you were able to separate his powers."
"What do you mean?"Abriel asked.
"Do you think that's possible?" Than questioned.
"I believe so," The stranger said. "That was the final moment of his life. You're going to be unhappy if he froze in his immortality when he was at his most powerful. Okay. This is a cause that, I believe has been lost. From now on, I'm not counting on you. Forget about your commitment to enslave Emerveille's Duchy. Moreover, you're too young and fiery for that. You haven't even attempted to comprehend the origins of its creation; you are unaware that it represents the very brightness of Arum."
"You were so close to reaching your destination... Perhaps now is the time..."
"You must now hunt for and eliminate each of his abilities one by one. It'll be harder to beat him now..."
"Now that his powers are divided, it'll be a lot easier!" Nyx remarked.
"What a moron! He's no longer in the human realm! He'd probably gone to Lighthill. No one will be able to persuade the residents to change their minds once they learn that their Kronprinz has arrived. Despite our efforts to infiltrate the Alabaster Castle guard and the Lighthill guards, we can put the Duchy of Emerveille out of our minds. I should never have let the light go after working so hard to earn it!"
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Lightless day +1
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A voice said, "His body will recover."
With a start, I awoke.
I looked about, perplexed, until I realized I had no idea where I was.
What was I doing? What did he mean when he said that? Who was he, exactly?
The agony had become a constant aching now that my body was no longer under attack. The agony came in waves that were unbearable.
However, I was shaken by the agony and recollections of the horrifying image I had witnessed.
I'd been whisked away from the world of winged monsters to a realm where I'd witnessed a discussion and a meeting, only to find myself in a place as strange as the others.
My chest was oppressed by a feeling of... emptiness and unexplainable terror, and I felt on the edge.
My right hand instinctively went to my chest, where my heart was. I understood I had a body as I made this simple human gesture.
That I had a body once more.
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Lightless day +2
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After slipping into a dreamless sleep, I awoke with a startle.
I crouched down, sheltering my head, as memories of the winged creatures attacks surfaced. My mind had turned to fear.
Was it all in my head?
Was it possible that my mind was contained in a body?
Was this supposed to be my body?
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Lightless day +3
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Wake up in sweat. What am I doing here?
I remembered the drapes from two wakes ago, shocked just like this one...
And the second time, I landed with my conscience? The second world... Yes...
Nyx, who was she?
Why had I landed there?
Abriel... Than... Those are the names that come to mind.
Who was it that called me? And how do you do it?
Was I expected to be present for this debate?
Or was it a case of interception, a call that wasn't intended for me yet saved my life?
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Lightless day +4
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I woke up in pain. Excruciating pain.
I was fed up with my sluggishness.
I'm not sure what's going on inside this body.... Why am I in so much pain?
I stood up.
My legs were trembling and I was struggling to keep them straight.
I was in a spacious room with drapes all around me.
I drew one of the curtains at random and saw myself reflected in a wall mirror. My reflection was scarcely discernible, and there was no light on this... world, as there had been in the other ones.
I couldn't make out the features at all. I couldn't place myself. It wasn't my body that was involved. When I caressed the skin on my face, I was surprised by how supple and soft it was.
Long light-colored hair, perhaps reddish blond; the half-light makes it difficult to tell.
Clear iridescent eyes with tilted pupils... In a nutshell, this is only a temporary vehicle for my consciousness.
In general, I appeared to be a human. My anxiety level decreased.
My physique was similar to what I was used to: lanky with optional muscles. Couldn't I make it better? Isn't there a new version of this dreadful game?
I fiddled with the texture of the garments I wasn't comfortable with, feeling my hips for pockets that could have hidden a phone... - "Be thankful you're not nude," I muttered as I fiddled with the texture of the clothes I wasn't familiar with.
I don't believe I can have the benefits of the human world in this world. I was no longer the cherished VIP member after losing my shadows. Maybe I'll be able to improve on that? If the opportunity arises, I'll take it.
One thing is certain: I won't be able to survive here unless I retrieve my power!
My reflection returned my stare. My stance has shifted.
Nothing when I looked at my right profile!
I turned to the left, but there was nothing...
Despite my excellent grasp of physics, I rotated 180 degrees because I didn't want to give up hope... Nothing!
But, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but! "What happened to it?"
