Legacy of the Dark Sage

After contacting Malia, Stella took Kyran and Cyneah to her quarters using the tower's transmission array.

When they appeared, Kyran lay Cyneah down on one side of the bed while Stella went to the bathroom. She brought a white basin filled with lukewarm water and a handtowel. Then she sat on the side of the bed, soaked the handtowel in water, and wrung it once before wiping Cyneah's arms.

Stella's brow was slightly furrowed. Cyneah did feel frighteningly cold. Stella could not say it in front of Kyran, seeing how worried he was, but Cyneah felt like a corpse. That was Stella's impression when Kyran laid Cyneah on the bed; her body appeared to lack bones. If not for the slight heaving of her chest as she breathed, Stella believed her to be dead.

True Void disengaged himself as a bracer and turned into miniature armor before sitting on Kyran's shoulder.

[What are you thinking, Void Halfling?]

He asked, seeing how Kyran had fallen silent while looking at Cyneah and Stella.

'I'm just thinking how lacking my Alchemy knowledge is. I can diagnose sickness, even rare ones and come up with a potion to help them, but seeing Neah's condition… I can think of a few reasons that have similar symptoms like hers, but none of them is related to magic energy poisoning.'

[Don't beat yourself up. It's not that your Alchemy is lacking but that this situation involves the Void. Even in the Tower of Tribulations, information about Void magic is rare. So how will you know of a remedy to heal illness or injury related to Void? Remember, a limb cut using Void magic cannot regenerate. Your magic has infected her, and we've already taken it out. We can only observe the situation.]

'I know,' Kyran only curtly responded before falling silent again.

True Void felt helpless. His master's weakness was a woman, and now the new Void Master's weakness was this young woman. Apart from this, they were both related to the Soul Emperor. Would history repeat itself?

'The future sure is bleak,' he thought with a sigh.

Kyran's brow furrowed. True Void did not share his thoughts, but his sigh vividly conveyed his unspoken concern to Kyran.

'I won't deny that Neah is important to me, but she won't become my weakness. I'm not Caelan.'

True Void did not reply and only looked at Kyran's profile.

"Kyran," Stella called out after straightening her back. She looked at him and asked, "What kind of energy infected her? How come it's too potent?"

"Mine."

Stella's initial reaction was to gape at Kyran. When he did not elaborate and even looked uneasy, she realized he was not joking. She blinked several times, and said, "I'm sorry?"

Kyran sighed inwardly.

As much as possible, he did not want to talk about it because his guilt over what happened to Cyneah was already gnawing at him. He did not want to end up making Stella feel bad as well if she knew how it happened.

Then again, with True Void no longer pretending to be dead, who knew what kind of exaggerated explanation he would say?

"You heard him right," True Void, as Kyran expected, started. "Kyran infected her with Void energy. Its already removed, but as you can see, she has not woken up and her temperature is still cold."

Before Stella could ask any further, or True Void started spouting unnecessary information, Kyran said, "I don't think Chairman Malia can heal Neah, but I want to hear her thoughts. I may have missed something."

Stella did not reply, but the deep frown on her beautiful face showed her displeasure. She was not a clueless girl, and she more or less guessed something had happened between this woman and Kyran. Even if Kyran did not say it, Stella could sense his branding on her!

Do not underestimate a woman's intuition!

Anyway, the branding Stella felt was not similar to the ones Kyran had with his Sigils and pets. It was more of a feeling: No one is allowed to touch Cyneah, or they will suffer grievous consequences.

"She will need to hear what happen. If not how can she come up with her own ideas," Stella said matter-of-factly, but True Void felt a biting chill from her voice.

'I should've played dead longer,' he sighed resentfully.

Malia arrived soon after. She was surprised to see Cyneah because she resembled the Crown Princess, but she put aside her curiosity upon seeing her weak state. For a good two minutes, Malia checked Cyneah's condition while Kyran gave a perfunctory explanation of what had happened.

Stella pursed her lips in annoyance after hearing Kyran's explanation. Did he not know that the more he avoid giving out a detailed explanation, the more he appear suspicious?

Oblivious to the awkward atmosphere inside, Malia announced her diagnosis.

"Her temperature exceeded that of the normal," she started while looking at Kyran. "If not for her present vital signs, I would have thought you're asking me to examine a dead body."

Kyran's brow furrowed. It was subtle, but Stella, who had been watching him, noticed it.

"However," Malia continued. "If we put aside how she got infected by a bad energy, I could think of one reason for her condition."

'I thought of seven,' Kyran thought in dismay. He could not blame Malia for providing only one reason. Unlike him, who had the advantage of training in the Tower of Tribulations, her Alchemy knowledge was limited to the Human plane. Still, he had hoped she could provide something different.

Without waiting for them to ask, Malia explained, "I once read my grandfather's alchemy journal from the time he worked at one of the noble families in Meliora." She paused and frowned slightly, seemingly unsure how to continue. But after a few seconds, her expression cleared, and she said, "Actually, my grandfather used to work for a branch family of the surviving Winfrey Family."

The others were shocked to hear this. However, unlike Stella, who was more expressive, Kyran and True Void managed to conceal their shock.

"Anyway," Malia continued, "The first miss of the family had sleep paralysis. However, it was also a little different from the usual sleep paralysis. Her whole body was not stiff like how people suffering from that condition had. Instead, her body was limp and her temperature was very low."

Her last statement made Kyran and Stella look at Cyneah.

The symptoms were the same.

"My grandfather concocted several potions but failed to find a real solution. He was only able to relieve her discomfort after she woke up."

"How long did it take for her to wake up? Did your grandfather write that?" Kyran asked at once.

Malia nodded, "It was random, with the longest four days, and the shortest, six hours."

'I can't wait that long,' Kyran thought with a sigh of resignation.

Frankly, he would not have considered what Malia had said if not for the fact that it involved a Winfrey, possibly making Cyneah's condition hereditary.

In any case, Kyran had hoped to see Cyneah regain consciousness before leaving. However, even though he worried about her, he could not stay long. He was still here only because he was waiting for an update from the spirit messenger White Lily sent to the Regis Estate to deliver his message.

"Actually."

Malia's voice brought Kyran out of his mullings.

With a thoughtful expression, she said, "There was something else my grandfather mentioned about the first miss. He wrote that every time she woke up, she would tell him things she had seen and experienced in her sleep. My grandfather noted that most of the things she told him, actually happened in real life."

Kyran's eyes widened as an idea crossed his mind. Before he could voice his thoughts, someone else beat him at it.

"Soul projection," Stella muttered and looked at Cyneah. As if in a trance, she continued, "That's right. Your family has always thought you are ill when you suddenly fall into a deep sleep for days. But actually, it is you using your soul to move around and spy on others."

"Stella."

"Milord?"

Kyran and Malia called out to Stella at the same time.

Malia looked at her in concern, while Kyran felt uneasy. He had witnessed Stella act this way before, and he was worried that leaving Cyneah with her like this might not be a good idea.

Stella took a sharp intake of breath as she snapped out of her trance-like state. She felt a little dizzy and rubbed her temples, saying, "I-I'm sorry. I need some time to think. I'll take my leave first."

"I'll bring Neah back to my room, rest here," Kyran immediately said and walked over to the bed to take Cyneah.

"N-No need. I can-."

"It's fine. This is your room. Neah can stay in mine. I'll have Aki watch over her," Kyran insisted. Then he looked at Malia and added, "Chairman Malia, can I trouble you to concoct the potion your grandfather used to make for the first miss? If not, you can give the instructions to Len."

Finally feeling the awkwardness between them, Malia looked at Stella uneasily before looking back at Kyran, saying, "It is fine. I can do that. I'll bring the potion over."

"You don't have to worry," Stella suddenly said before Kyran could leave with Cyneah and True Void. "I only need some time to sort my thoughts. I won't hurt her."

Kyran only nodded in response before returning to the makeshift room in the training ground.

As soon as they appeared, Cyneah's body started to convulse.

"Neah? Oi, what's wrong?" Kyran tried to shake her awake. But it was useless.

True Void levitated in midair and looked at Cyneah with a frown.

"Void Halfling, its okay. I think she is about to wake-."

Before Kyran could lay Cyneah on the bed, her eyes snapped open and she gasped for air.

He sat on the bed and held her while saying, "It's okay. Calm down and slowly take a deep breath. Slowly control your breathing."

After a few seconds, Cyneah's mirror-like eyes seemd to regain focus as she said, "N-Nar?"

"I'm here."

"Nar!" Cyneah wound her arms around Kyran. She was still having trouble breathing, her whole body trembled, and she clung to him as if her life depended on it. "Y-You're real, right?"

"Yes."

"N-Not a dream."

Kyran paused, wondering if he should mention the illusion world. In the end, he decided against it and said, "That's right."

"I-I just had a s-scary dream."

"It's okay. It's just a…" Kyran recalled what Stella had said about soul projection and hesitated. He also thought the same because it could also explain how Cyneah appeared in the illusion world.

"N-No… I-It can't be a dream," Cyneah continued, her voice quivering in fright. "J-Just now, you just called me Neah. T-The you in that dream a-also called me Neah."

"Yes, that's right. But its okay now," Kyran did not think what happened in the illusion world would scare her like this. Then again, how come she had only woken up from that?

Cyneah shook her head as she leaned back, "No. T-That was not scary. B-But the one after that."

Kyran frowned at once.

True Void's eyes also squinted as he sent a telepathic message to Kyran.

[Ask her what she saw.]

Kyran did not need telling and had already asked, "Tell me."

"I-In t-that dream… I-I can see Nar. I-I can actually see!"