Mandhela looked around in confusion.
Surrounded by tall, magnificent buildings and bustling streets, and hearing the beautiful piano music coming from somewhere, these strange scenes left Mandhela a bit bewildered.
Just a moment ago, she had been locked in that tower she couldn’t escape from, so how did she end up here in the blink of an eye?
Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from ahead, and Mandhela faintly saw two children under the age of ten chasing and frolicking.
The little girl wearing a red dress was chasing a slightly chubby little boy, pretending to scold him as she said, “Adar, we’re already at the Marine Theater, and we can already hear the teacher’s piano. How dare you run away? If the teacher finds out, you will definitely have to copy music scores as punishment!”
Adar turned his head, his eyes curving into crescents as he laughed, sticking out his tongue and saying in a babyish voice, “I won’t go! Nah-nah!”
After saying this, Adar ran towards Mandhela’s direction.
Like a slippery little kitten, unnoticed at first, he crashed full into Mandhela’s arms.
Mandhela frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to push Adar away, but just at that moment, Adar let out a “ouch”.
The childish whimper made Mandhela’s already exerted arms relax slightly; she stiffened for a moment, not pushing Adar away but instead letting him bump into her, flinging Adar onto the ground due to the rebound.
As he whined in pain, Shanni was already by Adar’s side, twisting his ear: “Your guts have really grown, thinking you can act tough because the teacher is fond of you? Let’s see if you dare scare those who come… for the Trial of the Talented Ones, huh?”
Halfway through her words, Shanni seemed to think of something and turned her head to look at the person Adar had bumped into.
She was about to apologize and take Adar to the Marine Theater, but when she saw the person that Adar had bumped into, her eyebrows knitted almost imperceptibly.
“You… who are you? How come I’ve never seen you before?” Shanni looked at the woman with curiosity.
As more and more people came to Originheart City, Shanni couldn’t remember everyone’s name. But she was very sensitive to people’s appearances; even if she couldn’t remember someone’s name, she would have an impression if she had seen them in Originheart City.
However, her memory database was completely blank regarding the person before her.
Long hair draped over her shoulders, a gentle and elegant face—she was clearly from a noble family. Yet, a melancholic air enveloped her, a feeling of gloom that Shanni found somewhat familiar.
With such distinctive features, Shanni would definitely remember if she had seen her before.
“Could big sister be new here?” Adar also raised his head, covering his sore forehead, and asked in a childish voice.
Mandhela, being stared at by these two kids, suddenly felt a bit nervous. What did they mean by ‘new here’? Exactly where was ‘here’? She wanted to ask, but ultimately she said nothing and turned to run swiftly towards the other end of the street.
Shanni and Adar exchanged a puzzled glance, the same thought apparent in their eyes: What’s up with this person?
“Should… should we chase after her?” Adar hesitated.
Shanni shot Adar a look of annoyance: “Chase what? Someone who shows up at this time and is new must have been snuck in by those few, probably for some special purpose. We don’t need to bother; someone will handle it.”
If Angel were there, he would definitely nod in agreement with Shanni. Her insight was indeed quite remarkable.
“So what do we do now?” Adar muttered instinctively.
Shanni smirked and, twisting Adar’s ear, hauled him up: “The most important thing now, of course, is to take you to see Teacher Jon!”
“No—don’t—ahh—”
The pitiful screams pierced the heavens, reverberating without end and eventually turning into heavy shackles that fell upon the poor, pitiable Adar.
Meanwhile, in a dark alley, Mandhela also heard the scream.
Such misery; could it be an accident had occurred… Numerous dreadful consequences flashed through her mind. Mandhela’s gaze darkened for a moment, she moved to the entrance of the alley and looked out.
She saw the little girl from before, pinching the ear of the boy named Adar, threatening him: “Keep shouting, hurry up and go learn piano!”
While saying this, she dragged Adar into the nearby Marine Theater.
Mandhela also noticed that the beautiful piano music she had heard earlier was indeed coming from the Marine Theater.
Mandhela unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief: “So it’s just going to learn piano; I thought something bad had happened.”
But after relaxing, Mandhela suddenly froze: Why should I be worried about some little brat?
Not only did this question arise in her mind, but another question circled in her brain: Why did I run?
For the first question, Mandhela couldn’t sort out her somewhat jumbled thoughts. But for the second one, she had a vague answer in her heart.
When the girl asked her questions, Mandhela unconsciously wanted to respond with sarcasm, a trait acquired from the influence of the undead over the years. But just as she was about to speak, Adar’s childish voice rang in her ears, and she paused, suddenly realizing she wasn’t facing a group filled with negative energy undead, but two innocent children.
Unable to control the tone of her voice, she ran away.
It was a ridiculous reason, but it wasn’t an excuse. It was the subconscious reaction of Mandhela, who hadn’t had contact with outsiders for many years.
Even after she escaped and hid in this dark alley, it was her subconscious reaction. The bustling buildings outside, along with the lively crowds, were like walking sources of light, so at ease, so enviable… reflecting the darkness constantly seeping out from her heart.
So, Mandhela hid in the dark alley, curled up in a corner, as if to find a comfort zone that belonged solely to herself.
Mandhela leaned against the mottled wall, slumping down on the dry ground, her eyes brimming with a vacant look.
What on earth was wrong with her? Why had her emotions suddenly become so fluctuant? Was it because of those two kids who hardly had any facial hair?
Mandhela rubbed her temples, and with the comfortable pressure, she felt a bit more at ease. But in a blink, her pupils contracted slightly, and she began to tremble—
Why can I feel my body, why is it so tangible?
Mandhela abruptly turned, violently pounding against the wall. The very real sound of “thud thud thud” accompanied by falling plaster made her appear a bit disheveled.
“Why can’t I pass through walls anymore?”
After a while, Mandhela stared blankly at the grey sky, filled with confusion: Where on earth is this place?
Could it be that she, like the little girl at the bottom of the cemetery well, had been subjected to an Illusion Technique by those detestable Wizards? Was she in an Illusionary Realm?