But the Illusionary Realm below the cemetery well was so fragile, so easy to see through; yet now, she couldn’t see through it at all, much less determine where she was.
All sensations seemed real, even her body felt real.
Most importantly, she could no longer sense her own soul energy, as if she had truly turned into an ordinary person. No, she really was an ordinary person now, with no abilities whatsoever.
Mandhela sat in the corner of the wall, lost in a daze for a long time, until her restless spirit finally calmed down gradually.
She began to carefully recall the events before she arrived at this bustling city.
She remembered being locked in a tower she couldn’t escape from, where she had been for several days. The room was utterly empty, except for one window that couldn’t be opened.
Peering through the glass, Mandhela could see a lush forest in the distance, a stark contrast to the gloomy nature of Black Castle.
She sat by the window, occasionally hearing animal cries from the forest.
Nearer to the tower was an open-air library. An assortment of bookshelves haphazardly arranged on the lawn created a scattered beauty.
No one entered the library until not long ago, when two detestable humans came in.
One of them was Angel.
After that, Mandhela’s memory wasn’t too clear. All she remembered was sitting quietly in a corner of the tower, recalling her own death scene by scene, hoping that the distress would help her fall again.
Even though her soul state was very comfortable, with no terrifying whispers in her ear or any anxiety, relaxed and easy… she didn’t want to drown in this comfort. Her desire for revenge had not been resolved in the slightest.
Yet no matter how much she dwelled on the feelings before her death, she remained unable to fall.
When she felt utterly disheartened, she faintly sensed something changing around her. Not long after that, she heard the familiar voice of Angel: “Hatred and obsession are like two tall towers you’ve built in your heart. You don’t have to tear down these towers, but why not try to live a little easier?”
Mandhela remembered she wanted to argue at that time: “Live a little easier? I’m already dead, I can’t ‘live’ easier.”
But before she could speak, Angel’s voice came through again: “Why not, go and ‘dream’… live.”
That elegant, comfortable whisper made Mandhela’s scalp tingle, and she couldn’t even remember the place Angel mentioned: Dream… what place?
Could this be a dream? If so, she should be able to wake up, right?
Mandhela struggled for a long time, but she didn’t feel like she was in a dream at all. It seems that either she was trapped by a sophisticated Illusion Technique or Angel simply threw her into this strange city.
Mandhela sat with her eyes closed, pondering what she should do next.
When she had been trapped in that tower, all she had desired was to get out. But now that she was out, she felt somewhat uncertain.
Unconsciously, Mandhela recalled Angel’s words—
“Why not try, just to live a little easier?”
Mandhela shook her head fiercely; Angel wasn’t a good person. He also stood with Black Castle—why should she listen to him!
Shaking off the tangled thoughts, Mandhela was forced to confront reality again.
What should she do now?