124 Transcendence:The Voices in the universe and the voice of the universe I

Rae's POV

"So how are we going to bring that young girl back here for the duel."

"Young! She is over 1000 years old maybe even 1500?"

"1500!!!"

"Yeah..."

"Wow guess you really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Anyway getting her back here?... How indeed?... Morpheus can you help us out?"

"Help you out! Again? After the mess, this little girl has caused. Princess, do you think convincing a millennium dragon is a walk in the park?"

"I know, I know. Especially her. She is quite the hard nut to crack but don't worry about the convincing, Just please contact her for me..."

"I don't know, she can be pretty harsh when she doesn't want to be disturbed."

" Pretty pleeeease."

"You always do this knowing that I am weak to your requests. Look at you taking advantage. You are very lucky to have me indulge your whims."

"So you'll do it?"

"I don't know how but...Okay, I will try to contact her through her dreams but do know that she is one of the very few people in this world who is resistant to my dream magic so it is all up to her. Let's see if she will willingly answer the call...

She is not answering, oh well we tried."

"You are giving up that easily?"

"What else can I do?"

"Just keep trying she may answer eventually."

"Do we really want to annoy that millennium dragon?"

"But..."

"Wait did you just say you can contact people through dream magic?"

"Yes of course."

"Then can I take this chance to talk with someone?"

"Rae we haven't even dealt with the dragon yet and you are already diverting."

"She is not answering so what is the harm of me talking to other people while we wait."

"Other people? Do you think I am your personal means of communication?"

"I know you are not but I would like very much to talk to some people in the material realm as I really miss them, so can you please do this little favour for me."

"Okay if I do this favour for you what do I get in return?"

"Wow, you all are so transactional."

"Morpheus just help her with her favour."

"Okay princess, I will do it for her as you have requested but I will only contact one person for her."

" Okay, thanks a lot. And about payment for the favour, I guess it will be an I owe you."

Since I get to choose only a single person who am I going to contact? Hmmm...

I think I got it.

"Goddess of death can you please contact Miss Merle for me."

"Merle... Is she from the human kingdom?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I will contact her consciousness and put you two in a dream room where you can converse."

"Thank you very much."

"Okay, here we go."

After that, a flash of white blinding light engulfed me making me a little disoriented and temporarily blinded. After a few seconds, I came to find myself in quite a vast forest.

"Where is this?"

"You are now in Merle's dream world, you will need to find her effigy in this dream world so as to converse with her. Oh and do watch out for her dream eaters they can be quite a nuisance, I unfortunately cannot go with you so take care and do not mind her dream states they will eventually pass."

"Dream eaters and Dream states, what are those?... Hellooooo?"

It looks like she is no longer with me.

Okay let me start looking for Merle's Effigy I suppose.

( A little girl's voice was then heard from afar.)

"Come on it is a failure again. No, I can't give up now, I will definitely make this method of double spell casting work."

I searched for the origin of the voice only to get and see a little girl 7 or 8 maybe 9 years old. She wore a white beautiful and looked like she was part of the nobility.

I then proceeded to secretly watch her as I couldn't help being curious as to what she was doing in such a vast forest.

"Don't tell me another failure."

She then proceeded to chant the same spell ten more times each time adjusting the way she chanted her words. I assume she was trying to do double casting. 

Wow, that girl is quite ambitious for her age.

"Okay I am going to do this one last time if it fails again this time, I... I guess I should call it a day and try again tomorrow.

Okay here goes nothing...

It, it worked, yes it finally worked."

She immediately then bolted towards a certain direction with a face full of joy and excitement.

I decided to follow her quietly since I sort of felt a sense of familiarity with her. Maybe it's because she seems like a certain version of myself.

She then arrived at a huge mansion where she excitedly started to call out her mom, Dad, sister and brother. She basically called out all her family members. I suppose she wanted to share her achievement with them.

"Dad, Mom, Vienne, Artis come out I have great news."

"My lady please stop running you might get yourself hurt."

"No time to stop now I just made a very notable achievement in spell casting.

Dad, Mom..."

"Merle please stop running around like that you are going to hurt yourself."

"Mom you are here."

"Well, you were calling all of us so enthusiastically."

"Big brother Artis and big sister Vienne."

"Mom, do we really have to be here for this?"

"Vienna be supportive of your little sister."

"Of course let us see what the prodigy has created this time."

That little girl was Merle, Never knew she had a big brother and sister. No wonder I felt a sense of familiarity with her.

"Mom where is Dad I have something to show you all."

"Your father is not around today."

"No, I want to show you all."

"Then we can do it tomorrow when Dad is around. 

Mom can I go now."

"Vienna don't upset your sister."

"Merle you can just show Vienna, Mom and I now and then you will show Dad when he comes back."

"Ok, big brother Artis.

So today I was working on a way to do dual casting and I think I found a way of doing it by incorporating two spells into one, and I would like to show you the results."

"Oh wow ok, please show us."

"Of course Mom."

"...What is happening? I did just some moments ago."

"Oh, is the prodigy failing or was it all a lie? I can't believe you called me here for this pathetic show."

"Vienna stop being mean to your sister."

"Don't worry Merle, I am sure it will work again. Come on let's go inside and have dinner."

"No, brother Artis I am not lying, I really did create a dual spell of fire and wind."

"We believe you maybe you are just too tired from mana exhaustion."

"I don't feel tired. I am actually very fine. I will make sure to show you all that I was not lying...Come on, work! work!! WORK!!!

Yes, it worked..."

The next scene that I saw was something that I could never have imagined. The spell went out of control and I suppose this was the reason I had never heard of Artis or Vienna or any other family members.

Merle was freaking out looking at the scene that had just unfolded before her eyes.

While the spell had worked it created a torrent of flames that brutally devoured her brother and sister and her mom trying to stop the spell got caught up in it. Ear-piercing screams could be heard from her family members who were being devoured mercilessly by the huge flames she had created.

I could see Merle struggle to stop her spell with a face full of fear, panic and distraught. She even tried to summon a water spell but unfortunately, it was all for naught.

While that horrid scene continued to play the dream world started to flicker as if I was in a video game. The glorious views and bright crispy sceneries that were there before started to grow a little more darker and the atmosphere grew to be grimmer and grimmer until everything went dark and all that remained was a little girl sobbing in utter darkness.

I still wasn't sure if this was Merle's nightmare or one of her painful memories from the past maybe it was a little of both?

I started to walk towards the younger version of Merle with the aim of comforting her only to be attacked by a weird creature made out of shadow and darkness.

It reared its claws at me ready to tear me apart but luckily I was able to fight it off as soon as it charged at me. When I was done with the creature. The whole dream world had been rebuilt into a new scene.

This time we were in a place that seemed a lot more familiar but then again not so much.

Merle was also looking a lot more like her usual adult self. But the way in which Carmine my home village was looking was quite disturbing and devastating. It looked like they had just been raided by some psychotic villains.

All around all I could see were knights and more knights as if they had all a mission there. The scene brought back flashbacks of what I had seen in my seventy simulations.

A group of peasant humans quickly formed at the town square. Merle was among the many members of the crowd dressed in some sort of camouflage which was all very very concealing.

"Today, by the orders of her majesty Queen Regent Diane Wemberly we have officially come to arrest the Heretic Harold Velmont for Capital crimes against the state and church. We will take him to the capital where he will stand trial.

Take him away."

"Yeah take him away."

"We don't want people like him who condone invasion by those unholy species."

"I can't believe he used to be a renowned knight."

Everybody who was part of the crowd seemed to jeer Mr Harold encouraging what the knights were doing. Some of them were even throwing vegetables at him as he walked away in chains. This sight really did boil my anger and rage but unfortunately, I couldn't do anything, Ms Merle too seemed to be experiencing the same emotions I felt but she was doing everything to control herself.

She then turned and ran towards the route I assume the knights were going to take to secretly follow them. As she did this she softly whispered to herself

"Mr Harold I will definitely save you."

The scene then stopped like a movie scene that had been hit paused, and dissolved and then a new scene started to take shape right there and then. 

The new stage had the same theme with an even larger crowd forming but instead of it happening in Carmine village it was happening at the royal capital.

"So are we all clear on the plan."

"Yeah don't worry we are day walkers so this will definitely work."

"I definitely hope so since I have known that man for.half my life. He saved me more than once and now it is time for me to repay in kind. I don't know how you all know him but I am grateful for your help Eleanor and Ivy was it?"

" We will definitely save him, now everyone take your positions."

"After going through extensive investigations it was found that Mr Harold Velmont was found guilty of the capital crimes he was accused of and as such he has been sentenced to death so today we are here to carry out his execution."

Execution!!! Is this how Mr Harold died?

"Yes! Rid this world of such vile human beings."

"Kill all demon sympathizers."

"Today we have the Queen and Archbishop to witness this criminal pay for his crimes."

"Mr Harold Velmont do you have any last words?"

"True righteousness will surely prevail."

"Is that all? Okay let a -"

"Stoooooop!"

Out of nowhere a blonde girl with hints of red in her hair dressed fully in a dark purple and black slim leather suit with a beautifully designed white half mask covering her entire eyes going down diagonally only revealing one cheek and her whole mouth appeared.

"I am here representing the vampire family and as you all have guessed I am a day walker. I challenge every holy knight here to come and dare stop me."

She then proceeded to taunt everyone that looked her way which led to her being attacked. She then proceeded to fight back in a very beautiful and mesmerizing way. It almost felt like she was dancing instead of fighting. She used her rapier to put down every holy knight that attacked her. The whole crowd seemed to be as glued to her as I was.

As soon as she was done she then swiftly disappeared same as she had mysterious appeared only for a sort of hurricane to be left behind. Looking back at the podium on which Mr Harold was going to be executed, he was nowhere to be found.

Everyone was too busy trying to protect themselves from the hurricane to even care where he had disappeared to.

I then found myself at another place where Mr Harold, Merle, Eleanor and the blonde woman who happened to be Ivy were.

While Mr Harold had been saved he was not looking very good.

In a soft voice with low energy he then said

"Thank you all for saving me but it was not necessary as I am already dead. The church has heavily poisoned me and I think it is about time for me to depart. Before I die I would like to ask you for a favor Merle."

"Please don't say that, I will definitely find a way to save you."

"No, it is too late for me so just listen."

"But... Okay."

"I would like for you to go and save the true Monarch of this Country Queen Rose Wemberly, that is the only way we can make it through this disaster."

"Mr Harold?"

"Please I beg you to do this as my last wish since I cannot do it myself."

"No I will definitely save you, then you can go save her yourself."

"Look at my body Merle am already deteriorating. I can barely even stand right now so please just promise me that you will save her."

"Okay, I promise to save Queen Rose wemberly.'

"Thank you" 

After saying that he sighed in relief and breathed his last breath. Merle sat there sobbing all over his dead body very vigorously. I could tell how truly sad she felt. I myself felt tears flow down my cheek as I watched her cry. I could feel sadness and rage slowly creep into my heart.

"How dare the church take him away from me. How dare that woman take him away from me. He was like a father to me. I will make sure I make them pay for what they did to my home and my dad." I angrily uttered those words.

Darkness started to creep in slowly swallowing the surrounding areas. I went straight to her this time and tapped her shoulders in order to talk to her. We were then immediately transported into some sort of white void.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Merle, it's me Rae."

"Wait, how do you know my name?"

"Have you forgotten me, it's me Rae."

"Stop lying to me, the Ray I know was a boy and he died about eighteen years ago due to his body failing to contain his power."

Why is she not recognizing me? Does she actually believe I died? Did someone mess with her memories?

"Merle it's me, the person whom you taught magic."

"I taught you magic? That can't be right."

"How can you forget, we even created silent casting together, don't you remember."

"Silent casting?...Ah my head"

"No, I don't know you the only Rae in my memory is the boy who died."

"Merle remember, I did not die Trina saved me by turning me into a vampire and the unfortunate side effect was I was turned into a girl."

"Ah, my head... Ray? Rae? Rae!!!"

"Merle do you remember me now."

"Rae you are alive! You suddenly disappeared fifteen years ago that everybody thought you had died, well most people actually have no memory of you and I don't really know why. But it is good to see you."

"It's good to see you to M's Merle."

"So where Have you been all these years."

"Well, I was sort of dead and just recently come back to.life."

"Wait what?"

"Don't worry that much, I am fine now as you can see."

"Ok so where are you now and where are we now actually."

"Oh, the answer to both is the dreamscape."

"The What?"

"Well to be specific right now we are inside your dream world."

"My dream world? How does that work."

"Well, I am not sure either. I am just here with the help of some weird goddess of death."

"Goddess of death I am not sure I understand that but it is good to hear from you again. So tell me how do you need me to help you?"

" Well I don't really need your help to do anything right now, I just really wanted to talk to you but, there is something you can help me with."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I would like for you to help those close to me recover their memories of me if any of them have lost it and please inform them that I am still alive and will be joining them soon."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah, I don't think I have any other requests. "

"Well okay, I will do my best."

"Thanks, M's Merle."

"Sure thing. Oh and do you know someone called Lucifer?"

"Ahh, yes I do. Wait how do you know her?'

"Well, it's a long story...

What is happening why is this place flickering?"

"It looks like our time is almost up."

"Okay do not mind what I'm about to do next, I will explain when we meet again. 

I Merle pledge allegiance to you Rae and promise to follow you as my leader."

"Wait what?"

She then disappeared and I was back in the dreamscape with the spider lady, the goddess of death and the millennium dragon?

"You are just in time, Longmu is here."