Like a bolt of lightning, as soon as the word struck, the barrier was broken to pieces within time lower than milliseconds.
Cr-Crack!
"Kuk!" The lightning stabbed Alackster's chest, just missing his heart by an inch.
The barrier dissolved in an instant.
Alackster stumbled backward, clutching his chest where the lightning had pierced through. Blood seeped between his fingers, staining the remaining white spot on his clothes.
'That was close... almost hit my... cough!' Alackster struggled to breathe as he clutched his chest ever harder, blood pouring from his mouth.
He dropped to his knees, his face losing all expression, turning as pale as the dead. His eyes became empty, lifeless, staring at nothing. The enhancement spell had completely worn off, the backlash hitting him all at once.
Shinra descended slowly from the skies, his armor fading off as well.
Alackster raised his trembling hand to heal himself. He wanted to stop the pain, to stop the bleeding. He wanted to continue fighting.
But sadly... he couldn't.
Shinra bent down and held Alackster's shaky hand.
✷"No... more." A soft smile flashed across his face. "You have already lost."
Alackster's bloodied face curved into a weak smile. His lips moved, barely forming words.
"I..." His eyes rolled back and he went unconscious.
Shinra held his body before it fell, laying it down on the ground carefully.
✷ "You did well... rest now."
He stood up, looking down at Alackster's unconscious form with a cold, deadly gaze. He raised his hand. Dark mana began to flow from the tip of his fingers, forming into a small beam that directed toward Alackster.
"Stop!" A familiar voice called out.
Shinra turned toward the voice, astonished by how it sounded.
He saw a girl who looked exactly like Ophelia. White hair, blue eyes, and a tender expression.
Although he knew it wasn't her... still, he smiled.
The system flickered once more in front of him.
[Good job...]
[Summoner's will has been satisfied]
[Shinra Boshamon is being summoned back...]
The dark mana coiling around his finger dispersed, and the white armor began to crack, shedding pieces like shattered glass. As the crimson glow in his eyes flickered and died, Acheron's purple gaze returned.
Violent tremors racked her body as control was reclaimed. Her vision blurred instantly, drowned out by a flood of notifications that crowded her sight.
[New Origin Skill Acquired: Doomed Fate (S)]
[You have transcended beyond your body limit...]
[Stage ascension: Descendant Sun 4th Phase → Astral Sun 1st Phase]
[Astral Dawn rewards: +10 In All Stats]
[You have brought Shinra Boshamon back to the land of the living]
[The souls of Shinra and Ophelia stirred…]
[Initiating soul-binding sequence...]
[You are being transferred to a sub-space]
Acheron tried to stay conscious, but the fatigue on her body weighed her down as she closed her eyes.
Everything went white.
.
.
.
"Argh! My head..." Acheron opened her eyes, holding her head as she looked around.
A green meadow with glowing grass painted the amazing scenery before her. It felt as if she was in an ancient painting.
A white-haired girl stood in front of her, wearing a glowing white dress stained with blood.
"I am... Ophelia."
Shocked, Acheron slowly got to her feet. She had designed her to be beautiful... but seeing it personally up close was unmatched.
She was the embodiment of beauty.
"You are the great mage...?" Acheron asked, although she already knew.
"Yes." Ophelia answered. "Thank you for saving Shinra... I have waited centuries for someone to finally unlock the seal."
Acheron looked above her and then below. The scene wasn't still. It changed constantly. Like leaves on water.
"Where are we?" Acheron asked.
"We are in the sanctuary I created to store my soul." Ophelia stepped closer, holding Acheron's hand. Her face showed a plea.
"I don't have much time... please accept the full authority of the spell. I cannot contain it any longer... I beg you, become the anchor that holds and brings me and Shinra together, Acheron Anaxagoras."
Acheron looked down in a daze. Such a responsibility cannot be carried by just anybody. Then again, she wasn't just anybody.
She smiled and without hesitation, replied. "I accept."
Golden light erupted from Ophelia's body, spreading outward in waves. The meadow began to glow brighter and brighter.
Ophelia's smile became radiant, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you... Author."
Shocked by the words, Acheron looked at Ophelia in revelation, then she smiled and realized Ophelia knew who she was from the start.
"You're welcome."
Ophelia's smile faded away alongside her body.
More notifications flooded Acheron's view.
[You have obtained the Spirit: Ophelia]
[You have obtained the Spirit: Shinra Boshamon]
[You possess two spirits of the same binding]
[Title acquired: The Beloved ♥]
[Returning to the physical world...]
[3...]
[2...]
[1...]
.
.
.
「 H.... 」
「 He... 」
「 Hey! 」
Stellar's voice rang loud as Acheron jolted back into her body.
'Ahh! Cut it out... my head is spinning as it is.' Acheron thought out loud.
「 You have been laying there for over two hours. I could not sense your consciousness, of course I will be worried. 」
'I'm fine... just feeling a little exhausted.'
She opened her eyes to the bed canopy above her, instantly recognizing the familiar four corners of her bedroom.
'How did I get here...'
「 Your siblings brought you back after they woke up... Claire treated you and brought you here to sleep. 」
Acheron pushed herself up, her body finally still and no longer arching. Although her injuries had been patched up neatly, bandages still wrapped tightly around her head and waist. After spotting her glasses resting on the nightstand, she reached out to slide them on.
With a quiet sigh, her legs swung off the bed and into her slippers. Only half-dressed in a bra, she crossed the room to the wardrobe to pick out something to wear.
Rustle. Rustle.
She flipped through her dresses, bringing out a long white shirt that could act as a shirt and a long gown for her.
As she pulled on the shirt, the soft fabric fell loosely over her curves, both comfortable and flexible. She walked over to the large window and pushed it open, letting the cool night air rush in with the scent of garden flowers. Stepping onto the small balcony, Acheron kicked off her slippers to let her bare feet meet the cold stone floor.
There was already a chair with a mini table that she uses to relax once in a while.
She sat down slowly, crossing her legs as the wind blew past her face, carrying her hair along with it. A cup of tea that Claire had prepared waited for her, and as she drank, the warmth spread through her body, bringing a feeling of comfort.
Acheron dropped the cup back on the table and closed her eyes for a moment. She took a deep breath then opened her eyes back.
'Status'