Why had I asked the Gate to show me what it has showed Mara? Simple, information and because of my curse.
Now you may wonder, what curse am I talking about? I am talking about the curse of equal exchange. It may be a curse, but it is also a blessing in disguise for others around me.
I had ended up with this curse when I was still a child, around seven, I suppose(Currently twenty-two). It inflicted upon me after I got caught into my mother's multiple spells books used simultaneously after I caused the self to fall down on me.
I was fine because of my absurd strength that was unusual for even a child, let alone a vampire but it cursed me with a blessing.
I could soothe away anyone's pain, wound or injury as long as I can survive what they faced at the same intensity as they did. But the problem was, since it was placed upon me as a curse. If I even thought about soothing someone, my mind and body goes against my own will to use the cursed blessing.
This was why I asked the Gate to show those memories to me. As for the information, I could get an idea over what I might encounter for my second phase. It agreed to my deal, allowing me to see what Mara witnessed. And I have to say...
It was painful.
"Uwahh!" Serelia made a sound as she tried not to vomit at the sight in front of her.
It was a completely red field, the grass were covered in red, and flames were everywhere. Smoke had already covered the sky, and screams were roaming everywhere.
Blood. All the red she saw, was blood. She wasn't feeling disgusted from the sight actually, but from the fact, that she could actually feel the environment when it was supposed to be a memory only with the self as a spectator watching the past.
"Is this what that hag meant by the second phase being dangerous?" She muttered, as she felt the heat surrounding her. She wasn't getting burnt despite standing so close to he flames but felt the pain.
It only provides the feeling and sensation of the environment, the damage will be mental instead of physical. She realized, as she braced herself and jumped over the flames.
Serelia ran around, trying to figure out her location until she came out of the closed area and saw the actual nation. Mordrath.
So this is what could have happened to this nation in another possibility. All burnt down!?
Serelia continued running through the nation, she noticed how she couldn't go to certain directions, meaning she was supposed to go in a following order only.
When she reaches past the first block, she saw Mara holding someone while she was on her knees, trembling and trying not to cry. Everyone around her already passed out.
Is this her in this possibility? Who is th-
Serelia's eyes widened in horror, her thoughts cut off as she saw who was Mara holding. It was Caine Grimrose. "P-Pleas-se tell me this is just a d-dream." She muttered in a trembling voice.
Serelia remembered how Caine had said she is really vulnerable at the heart.
That would indeed be too much for her, she was feeling it as well after all, not just watching it.
The realm shook slightly, as the memory world started to crack, black lines appearing throughout the infinite memory world before shattering.
No wonder she looked like that. For someone like her, that would be very hard to endure... Serelia took a deep breath and sighed as she prepared herself mentally. Any moment n-.
Suddenly Serelia's eyes went wide as she held her chest, tears threatening to spill as she gritted her teeths to keep her composure.
Curse of Equal exchange.
The equal exchange in this curse wasn't just enduring the same torment alone. As I said earlier, it was about enduring it at the same intensity... Meaning, I am now enduring everything I just saw at the same intensity now as Mara felt it before.
Serelia bit her cheeks from the inside to control herself from breaking, as she finally stopped, breathing heavily, spatting some blood out because of the bite.
"That woman... Why would she even participate in something like this with such a weak will?" Serelia wondered, as she felt the realm shaking again. It was her own turn now.
"Begin!" She shouted at the realm.
Outside the realm, Mara's trembling slowly starts to fade as she felt lighter. She was both confused and also felt relaxed. "Huh?"
Caine noticed and asked her if she was well, to which she replied. "I suddenly feel lighter, as if... Whatever that was happening just vanished all of a sudden."
Caine and the others were both surprised and confused upon hearing that as Morgana broke the conversation. "Serelia went in remember? It's probably her cursed blessing that must have done that."
Morgana's assumptions made sense to everyone, they were all aware of Serelia's ability which was a blessing for others but a curse for her, they knew about it because of seeing it being used before as well.
"Well, wouldn't that put her at a disadvantage now? Even if we know something normal can't break her so easily, she endured Mara's pain from the second phase. MARA'S PAIN." Darius mentioned.
"Is it really that bad that it was my pain?" Mara asked awkwardly.
"Yes." Everyone replied simultaneously, making her flinch.
The Serenis family who were watching noticed Mara's condition changing as well.
"From the looks of it, our sister must have used her curse inside there." Aven pointed out, noticing Mara's calm demeanor.
"I just hope she is fine." Aurelia prayed as Arabella asked her about the 'curse' they were talking about.
Aurelia started explaining about the Curse of Equal Exchange, which was the reason she tried not to get close to anyone which explained her lack of socialization as well. After hearing about it, the three Sanguiras sat quietly, deeply thinking the same thing.
No wonder she doesn't tries to get in touch with anyone.
"Taking Lady Mara's pain places her at a massive disadvantage still." Lucius mentioned, his tone slightly concerned.
"She will be fine." Draven mentioned. Aurelia got a bit mad.
"Father, are you really not worried about your youngest daugh-"
"Aurelia, you should remember what else she had tried to soothe in the past. Compared to that, some pain like that won't nearly be enough to break her."
Aurelia went quiet upon hearing that. "Fair enough..." The three Sanguiras had no idea, what they meant.
I hope big sis is alright. Destaris hoped internally.
Crack! Another world shattered as the Gate of Memories kept trying to find a possibility to use against Serelia, who chuckled slightly at that.
"What's wrong, Gate of Memories? Is there no possibility inside of your endless worlds that can break me?" She mocked in amusement.
The thing was, that in the second phase if the Gate itself becomes aware of something not enough to break the target, it keeps making entirely different worlds over and over again until it finds one that can do it.
Suddenly the realm's shaking stopped, leaving Serelia confused. "Huh?" Her last words as she felt a heavy wave of pressure from the realm.
Outside the Gate, everyone were waiting before feeling the pressure themselves. All of them immediately turned towards the gate, as it leaked a large wave of a blue aura. It didn't just hit the candidates, but everyone else outside as well.
"What the hell!?" Arabella shouted.
"Huh. How did it got triggered!?" Theresa shouted in shock upon coming back from doing something as she saw and felt the aura from the screen. Since the Gate was made by her own power, the aura of the Gate was also her own.
Morgana braced herself, as she held her arm in front, a purple aura coating around it, as some of the aura was starting to repel back but not enough to repel all of it.
"It's like, we are facing her majesty's power!" Darius shouted, trying to shield himself with his own aura but it was too weak. If anyone of them was killed by it, they couldn't even be ressurected anymore, as it would eraser the very idea of their existence away.
"Ugh!" Morgana groaned, trying her hardest to repel it back but it was in vain. Her purple aura faded as she couldn't hold it anymore. She was about to be erased.
Or was she?
Fwoosh! All the aura suddenly vanished as Morgana opened her eyes, a tall figure standing in front of her with their back facing them. It was Theresa. She almost shouted.
"Her majes-!"
"Quiet... Whatever happened here just now was a reckless decision of mine." She replied, her hand focused towards the gate, sealing the aura back inside. Everyone who was affected took a sigh of relief.
"So... What the hell was that?" Caine asked in annoyance, he was sweating slightly from exhaustion.
Everyone expected Theresa to reply back seriously but instead...
"Sorry, I forgot to tell all of you about the third phase." She said with a childish look and no guilt on her face.
"I am not surprised by that tone but... What do you mean by third phase?" Evelina asked as she helped Aeloria breath and get up.
"To put it simply... If the first phase takes different moments of your memories from past to present, and second phase takes entirely different possibilities. The third phase well... Forces the target to live through a horrific future that may happen. It won't tell how far into the future but it will lead to the horrific future either way. Oh and instead of just making you feel the sensation, it actually throws you inside of that future."
"How the hell is your magic this powerful!?" Aeloria yelled in annoyance. Theresa pretended to be oblivious like a child. As she asked everyone a question.
"So who even went in that it was triggered? I didn't noticed the hologram for a while?"
"Serelia did." The simultaneous answer from everyone left Theresa in an awkward realization.
So that's why it was triggered... Even the Gate knows nothing from the past to present can break her, so it resolved to a future.
Thud! The gate behind was puched open, hard enough to leave smoke. From inside, came out Serelia who wasn't looking sane at all. Her long hair were left open, spread over her face with her covered in dust, one hand on the other gate for support, about to fall off.
"Serry!" Morgana shouted, as she ran over to her to catch her before she could hit the ground.
"Serelia!" The Serenis family and the three Sanguiras shouted in shock upon seeing her condition.
"Lucius!" Aurelia yelled, as he nodded in understanding. Immediately jumping out of the halls, he went straight to the same place as all the candidates, breaking through the door and heading straight down the gap.
He arrived there, and assisted Morgana in supporting Serelia's body. The moment they tried to pick her up, she spoke.
"Your majesty..." She called out Theresa, as she continued. "I need to discuss something with you later after I recover. Continue with the trials till then." She gestured Lucius to take her to recovery, as he nodded. "Understood, young lady Serenis."
Picking her up on his back, he immediately took her away from there straight to the recovery.
"What did she even saw inside there?" Silas and Seraphine questioned simultaneously. Theresa glanced at the Gate, before clapping her hands to continue with the trial.
"Let's continue with everyone else." As she left with a flash of lightning. Everyone stared at the spot before continuing. Time passed as night settled in eventually.
Back with the female vampire and her guard, Serelia slowly regained consciousness, her dark coif veil kept beside her on the bed where she was lying. She attempted to get up, only to be stopped by a hand placed in front of her.
"Stay down young lady." Lucius said in a strict tone. Serelia brought her hand near his face. "Hmm?" As she flicked him on the forehead.
Outside, Aurelia was about to approach the room where the two were. However.
Boom! A tremor could be heard from inside as she immediately tried to rush inside to see what happened. "You should have remembered that once I wake up, I am completely recovered Lucius."
"Huh?" Aurelia paused just a movement before opening the door. To satisfy her curiosity, she slowly opened the door to peek to see what happened.
On the wall was Lucius, who was flicked away there as Serelia slowly got up. "Right, I had forgotten about it." He muttered, removing himself from the wall.
Serelia got up but didn't left the bed, using it as a seat. "Now listen, there is something important to talk about with her majesty. I want you to accompany me with it as I trust you the most for this matter..."
Her gaze slowly turned towards the door as she called Aurelia out, causing her to flinch. "Sister, I am already aware that you are watching. Come inside, you can also accompany for this later."
Aurelia sighed as she entered, locking the door from the inside. Serelia gestured both of them to sit as she told about why she wants to talk to Theresa.
"Inside the Gate, I was informed by it that since there was no possibility to break me, it will use a horrific future to break me... The problem isn't about what it showed me, but about what that future was..."
Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Serelia continued. "The problem is, that the future showed, is what is about to come to our current history... If everything went as it is, the future I saw will be the one which will occur here. That's why I need to talk to her majesty about it."
Serelia's reveal had left both the older vampires shocked. Lucius asked her a question. "But how do you know that future is the same as the one that will come?"
Serelia glanced at him and answered. "Because the Gate said so. Knowing her majesty's magic capabilities, it won't be surprising if the Gate created by her could also predict the future that is coming."
She got up from the bed and picked up her coif veil, wearing it back on her head, and gestured the two to follow her as she headed out of the room. "I won't reveal everything now, it would be best to tell everything when we are talking with her majesty."
...
All the candidates except for Serelia were in their private room in the palace where they rested every time during the festival.
"It's a surprise that everyone passed this time." Evelina said as she watched the others do their own thing.
Aeloria who was testing on the couch beside her replied back. "The trial was supposed to make everyone pass it of course as long as they didn't break and could continue. Mara would have failed if it wasn't for Serelia."
She glanced at Mara who was currently singing for fun. "I wonder if Serelia is alright." Evelina answered back.
"Come on, there is no way Mara's pain could break h-"
"I am talking about her condition when she came out from the third phase."
Evelina went quiet as both of them recalled her serious look. Aeloria continued. "She isn't normally serious but the look on her face definitely meant the matter was important. Not to forget. That upon coming back from her recovery, she went straight to her majesty as well to talk."
A guard slowly walks in and stands besides Evelina. "Lady Nocturne, someone wishes to meet you. They claim to know you."
Evelina glanced at the guard gently and asked him a question about that. Aeloria watched out of curiosity. "Did they tell you who are that?"
"Indeed." He replied as Evelina was about to pick up the cup of milk on the table. "He said his name was Vesper."
"Huh?" Evelina's face went blank upon hearing that as she slowly turned towards the guard. "... What?"
...
"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Theresa asked, siting in front of Serelia who was on the other side of the table. Aurelia and Lucius standing beside her.
"It's about the future I experienced inside the Gate of Memories."
"I already expected that when you told me you want to talk when you came out."
"The future I experienced there is what our current future will be if things goes the same way."
Theresa's expression didn't changed, she lazily placed her right cheek against her first, and waving from her other hand as if it's nothing to worry about. "Oh come on, how long can it be. Now that you told me about it, it shouldn't be much of a problem if we are prepared in advan-."
Serelia cuts her off. "Your majesty, the reason I was in a hurry to inform you isn't because of what happens but because of when it happens."
Theresa's expression didn't changed much, her smile still visible on her face. "And when would that future even occur?"
Serelia didn't hesitated in giving the answer. "A few days from now, right after the third trial."
Theresa's smile vanished instantly upon hearing that. Lucius and Aurelia both were left shocked upon hearing the timing.
"You are kidding me..." Lucius muttered. Theresa got serious and looked straight at Serelia.
"Alright, you have my attention now... Tell me what was the future that you saw?"
"As you wish." Serelia replied, as she was ready to tell everything that happened with her inside the Gate.