Chapter 418: Blanking Out [2]
Chapter 418: Chapter 418: Blanking Out [2]
Chapter 418 – Blanking Out [2]
Sora’s very existence shook. Her stomach internally knotted onto itself, her blood vessels contracted, causing her heartbeat to speed up dangerously.
She gasped, a terrible headache slammed into her skull like a fallen boulder on the ground.
Inside Sora’s mind, something flashed as she managed to understand the incoherent intents emitted by the necklace.
Memories.
Memories of a timeline long destroyed and forgotten by most except few. Golden Voice sank her teeth deep into her lower lip, trying to push away those memories from invading her own without consent.
Her face flushed red. Beads of sweat trickled down her temple, her eyes transfixed on the necklace nestled deep into her white-knuckled fist.
Suddenly, Sora threw the necklace away from her, looking like a young innocent princess who just stumbled upon a hideous spider.
The necklace flew, sounding like shuffled wind whispering around the room. Finally, it slammed on the wall with a loud tack-like sound, then crackled on the ground.
"What... what was that?" Sora muttered, breath caught in her throat. Her golden eyes were unsteady like the needle of a compass, resting on the far away sprawled necklace.
It seemed, to her, that she had woken up something she had no idea about.
Because even after throwing the item, Sora was very much able to listen to the voice calling out to her if she focused hard enough.
Yes.
That voice indeed was trying to speak with her, as if it was perfectly aware of who she was.
It was strange. Or at least, it was supposed to be strange.
Because,
’Why... why do I feel like it’s normal? Why are the voice, the tone, and even the power all so familiar to me?’
Sora was puzzled, her brow furrowed. She began to think when and where she must have known this voice.
At the same time, the memories she was unwilling to absorb, triggered by the ’Sister’ from earlier, were slowly succeeding in getting through her mental barrier.
And with some of them already imposing themselves into her, Sora began to know, or at least gain an inkling, of who that person was.
But how was it possible?
Her heart was at her throat.
’Did... Did Kaden know this?’ Sora questioned, her heartbeat slowly beginning to regain its normal course.
’Yes.’ Sora nodded, eyes suddenly confident, balling her fists, ’Kaden must have known this. Otherwise, he wouldn’t give this necklace. Besides, he himself said it’s a gift.’
Sora’s golden eyes lit up abruptly, her body jerking up in sudden realization, her ankle twisting to the left side because of the suddenness of her action.
She winced and fell flat on the ground once more. But Sora didn’t even register the pain that was already healed away, her mind focusing on her new understanding.
’Yes, yes, yes.’ Golden Voice whispered continuously, a forced smile painting her beautiful face, ’Kaden did say that it was the gift for me being an Empress! He knew! He knew I would need advice from a being like Her!’
Her brain was working overtime, trying furiously to make sense of whatever was happening to her.
It seemed to finally succeed.
At the beginning of this strange event, everything seemed abnormal and confusing.
However, the more Sora’s mind spiraled restlessly about it, the more she began to see clues that proved her current thought.
That all of this was part of Kaden’s plan.
What plan? Sora had no idea. But at least, all of this was for a good reason.
At that knowledge, a light of calmness bathed her whole body and mind, making her moan in relief.
She lifted her head, looking at the dropped necklace, now with more serenity.
"I believe in him." Sora whispered, taking a dog-like position and crawling slowly towards the necklace.
"He had never done me wrong even though he has all the reasons to do so." Sora continued, voice tight, "So I know this is the same. He must have a plan for giving this necklace, and I will know it by trusting him."
Finally arriving in front of the necklace, Sora halted.
She gulped, beads of sweat still trickling down.
Then again, no matter how much confidence she had in Kaden, it was still very much difficult for her to open her mind and talk with Her after knowing who She really was.
Nonetheless, Golden Voice knew the luxury of choices was robbed from her the moment she met Aster, The First Celestial.
’No.’ Sora shook her head, face slowly twisting back into anger, ’I have never been given a choice since I was born. All my life I was groomed to be in a certain way; groomed to be the Empress of this empire.’
The only thing she had done by herself and for herself was the act of singing. And that even with her partial memories inherited from Lady Sora.
Even then, she had been given no choice but to betray Kaden to regain back the only thing that was hers in a world where everything was forced upon her.
Now for Sora, it was no longer a simple matter. A god was involved. And there was a famous saying in both worlds about this...
The involvement of a god only brought along it the proliferation and evolution of crows.
The meaning of the sentence was clear. And Sora hated crows.
Now, she didn’t know what was the plan of Kaden. But Sora would trust Kaden over anyone else at this point in her life.
And maybe... just maybe...
’...You might be my ticket out of this Hell on Heaven.’
Sora took a deep breath, stretched her slightly shaking right hand, and grasped the necklace again.
Instantly, the unstable intent returned once more, whispering through her mind like a vicious temptress wishing to steal her very life source.
’Sister?’ The intent said, a tone confused and unsure, ’You are not sister. But you are sister. Who are you? Where is my sister?’
Sora cringed at the intent, feeling a part of her memories awakening, stirring like a lost sleeping dragon who had been waiting for the perfect moment.
Only now did Sora realize that she had never received and absorbed all the memories of Lady Sora.
And now, they were all flooding through her, drowning her in a sea of memories that were not hers.
Sora’s eyes blanked out, her mind overwhelmed by the sudden influx. She staggered, then toppled on her left side.
Drool was streaming down her open lips.
’...K-Kaden... are... you sure?’
Sora Asterion thought before losing consciousness completely.
On her hand, the necklace glowed even more, spitting a bright golden light that entered Sora’s skull.
And there, inside her consciousness, Golden Voice, in an ethereal shape, witnessed as memories from the same person from different timelines clashed furiously.
Voices were overlapping each other, different scenes playing at the same time, and different kinds of emotions and views of life...
All crashed down on her like restless waves on a shore.
Sora witnessed, eyes wide, and wondered one last time...
’Kaden... what... what should I do?’
...
Sora Asterion was extremely wrong.
Kaden had no bloody idea of what he had done. The only thing he had wanted to do was to give a heartfelt gift by using his Seed of Prometheus to mold a necklace.
He had indeed succeeded.
And normally nothing would have happened if the recipient of the gift was not Sora Asterion herself.
After all, The Seed of Prometheus was linked to Sora indirectly and directly — in a way Kaden had no idea — causing the current events happening to her.
Fate was such a funny thing.
—End of Chapter 418—
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