novelThe Sealed Place (2)
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Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
"Respond to our call... Lapis..."
In the void, the sound echoed and disappeared. In waves, the voice kept repeating.
"You are the future of the Behermes. You are our..."
"No... I..."
Lapis held her head, which was aching. The hazy voice kept echoing, making her feel uncomfortable. She never thought such a thing would happen. Ever since she arrived at Unicorn Peak, she found the voice on her head getting worse, ringing endlessly and ignoring her psychological defense. It entered her mind like a surging wave. Those emotions made her feel uneasy. She never felt so much emotion before. It was as if a lot of people surrounded her were shouting at her. There was fear, joy, anger, and sadness. It made her almost go crazy. She wanted to scream and stop those voices, but she couldn't.
Lapis knew her mission was very important and she had to persevere, but she felt drowsy and couldn't think straight. The voices were so chaotic, ringing in her head and making her almost go crazy...
"Little Lapis"
"Ah!"
When Lapis felt that she couldn't take it anymore, a gentle body hugged her from behind. Lapis subconsciously screamed in surprise. At the same time, the chaotic voices in her head seemed to get reduced, as if blocked by something.
When Lapis turned around, the first thing she saw was Gillian's beautiful face. Gillian was currently hugging Lapis from behind while shaking her tail.
"Why are you dozing off here? Everyone has walked to the front. If you continue to stay here, you'll get lost."
"Ah, I, I'm sorry, sister Gillian."
Lapis shrugged her body, trying to get out from her embrace, but soon, she stopped. She realized that when Gillian was by her side, those voices were suppressed and even completely disappeared. This made Lapis couldn't help but choose to rely on her. Just like a person who was about to freeze to death—they wouldn't mind if it was a volcano or dragon cave as long as they could find a warm place to avoid the cold.
"You don't have to apologize to me."
Gillian only grinned. After that, she let go of Lapis and held her hand.
"Let's go."
"... Okay, sister Gillian."
Lapis stayed silent, then nodded her head as she heard it.
The truth was, Lapis really envied Gillian. She was very clear just how humans looked at other races besides them—an artificial race. Ever since she was young, Lapis often got hurt because of this. It was the most painful memory of her. Since then, she had never shown her true self in front of anyone else, including Anne.
But Gillian was different. Although she had a distinctive feature that clearly differentiated her from human, she still revealed herself in front of everyone. She never seemed to mind and think about this issue. This made her felt really envious. She hoped that one day, she would be able to muster the courage to take off her cloak and show her real self in front of everyone. However, every time she thought about it, she felt afraid, remembering past memories, which made her felt uneasy.
She didn't know what she was supposed to do.
"It's here..."
Suddenly, a cold voice penetrated her mind and pierced through her heart. At the same time, those chaotic voices also seemed to have disappeared.
"My child, it's here. Come with me..."
"Ah..."
Lapis lightly shouted as she turned around to look at the dark, empty tunnel. At this time, Lapis finally realized that the surroundings were a bit too quiet. Originally, she was still able to vaguely hear the mercenaries' voices. In this kind of place, they usually called to each other to confirm the other party's safety. But now, there was no sound. Everything was silent.
"Sister Gillian, what happened? Si———"
When she turned around to look at her surroundings, her voice stopped. She was surprised that there was no one around her and didn't know what to say. What happened? Sister Gillian had been besides her. How did she disappear all of sudden? Lapis began to feel uneasy. She took a few steps back and leaned against the icy wall while anxiously looking around. She took an alchemical potion in one hand and a dagger in the other. Although she wasn't able to use them properly, it was still better than nothing, right?
Unfortunately, Lapis still felt insecure. She knew that she wasn't good at fighting. Even if she had legendary magic equipment, she wouldn't get. Lapis's fighting ability belonged to the absolutely harmless level.
To a mercenary, it was a very low evaluation.
"Come... my child... it's here..."
The voice sounded again. This time, Lapis hesitated for a while. She looked at the surroundings, but she couldn't find anything. The voice should have come from the depths of the tunnel. Should she go over there or stay here?
She had always been indecisive. She wasn't good at making decisions—it would be better if someone decided and she just had to follow it. This was the reason she thought Starlight was very comfortable. She didn't have to think about what should she do. She just had to follow Rhode's orders.
Now was also the same. Seeing this strange scene, Lapis actually wanted to look for someone to give her advice. Should she go there? Or just stay here? Was it a trap? What if something happened? Where did everyone go?
This question kept running around in her head. At this moment, the voice suddenly deeply sighed."What are you waiting for, my child?
"... I... I don't know you..." Lapis shook her head, looking at her empty surroundings.
"This is your last chance, Lapis. As the descendant of the Behermes, you have to fulfill your mission."
"I... am here for that." Lapis finally mustered up her courage and answered."But, but... who... are you? Why do you know... and where are the others? I was together with my comrades just now..."
"Comrades?" Hearing Lapis's answer, the voice's tone suddenly increased. But apparently, it did not intend to say anything about it. Instead, it sighed and skipped this topic."You have disappointed us, Lapis. Have you forgotten? We are the Behermes; we are the forgotten. We can only trust ourselves. Do you understand this fact? Don't trust others; it's meaningless if you can't stand up for yourself and make your own decisions."
The voice paused.
"... This your last chance. You are very important to us, but if you keep holding this attitude, then there is no need for the Behermes to continue... Now, you can make your choice. Come here or leave. This is your problem; you have to make your own decision. No one can help you. Either you choose your comrades or us—they are all the same.
"..."
Lapis didn't notice that the voice was slightly aggravating by the word "comrades". She only hesitated and thought for a moment.
Finally, Lapis looked up. She was firm, but still slightly timid. Why did she come here? Why did she abandon her beautiful days in Deep Stone City to suffer in this ghostly place? Wasn't it just for this moment?
For Father and Mother's last wish: the Behermes' revival.
Then there was only one choice she could make.
Thinking until here, Lapis took a deep breath. She could feel the smell of the muddy air enter deep into her body. She bit her teeth and clenched hands. She carefully turned around and walked towards the other side of the passage.
Her footsteps reverberated in the corridor. Soon, she was engulfed by the surrounding darkness. Lapis smoothly arrived at the end of the corridor, then turned around.
At the same time, a white light broke out and completely wrapped her in...
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