Chapter 723: Drowning Again (Ch.724)
A cold chill spread down Neveah’s spine and she stared at Everon, eyes wide with horror and Neveah was not the only one.
"He... killed them..." Kirgan whispered in disbelief.
Neveah exchanged a look with Xenon, the potent devastation in his usually emotionless eyes tore at Neveah’s heart and Neveah wished she knew the right words that could be a comfort to him...to any of them.
But Neveah did not get the chance to say a single word. A sudden surge of magic rushed through her veins, leaving a trail of hot, white pain.
Neveah’s mouth fell open in a soundless scream, dark spots dotted her vision and her consciousness dimd.
"Veah!" Xenon’s worried calls sounded like echoes from a great distance. And every other voice that ca after.
"What is happening?!" Imagor demanded.
"The artifacts have been activated!" The mage exclaid in barely concealed panic.
"You said it would begin when the moon rises!" Everon argued.
"I do not know what happened! The artifacts have been activated on their own, without the moonlight! I have to cast the spell! Now!" The mage replied urgently.
The muffled chants that followed after was the last thing Neveah heard before she slipped fully into unconsciousness.
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Cold... chilling cold...
That was the first sensation Neveah noticed as her consciousness returned to her.
It was too cold, too cold even for winter, and it was not winter, at least not in the part of the Stronghold Neveah had been.
Neveah’s eyes opened to a world of pitch darkness and the intense sensation of burning lungs. There was a steady hum in her ears and though it was impossible to see anything around, Neveah could tell she was underwater.
’Magically induce the sa circumstance...’ Everon had said.
’But no one had said anything about being underwater in a pitch black sea.’ Neveah thought, she quelled the instinctual panic and ignoring her burning lungs in need of air, she glanced around again, this ti squinting.
Neveah’s surroundings were truly covered in darkness and Neveah was beginning to suspect it was not just her surroundings but the water itself that was black.
’Could it be... the black sea?’ Neveah thought warily.
It dawned on Neveah that her consciousness had chosen the worst location to seek Jian even as the first speck in the darkness beca visible to Neveah...a pair of beastly eyes.
And then there was another, and another...
Neveah did not wait to see any more, she made a dash for the surface, pumping her legs and arms to swim up as fast as she could, despite not having a clear view of the path ahead.
It took a while and the burn in Neveah’s lungs grew even more severe but she kept swimming and swimming,
There was no end to the black sea in sight, Neveah wondered if there was ever an end or a surface in the first place. Though Neveah knew she would not die here, this was rely a subconscious scenario, she could not help the sense of defeat that crept up on her.
That was until a hand gripped Neveah’s and pulled. In a mont, Neveah’s head broke the surface and she gasped, her eyes wide, desperately taking in a deep breath.
Neveah’s gaze moved quickly to identify her rescuer, not at all surprised to find a frowning Jian crouched by her side, his gaze inspecting her form.
"Beloved... what did you do?" Jian asked Neveah in a disapproving tone.
Neveah did not care much for his disapproval, or the fact that she was completely soaked and dripping, she lunged at Jian, her hands going around his neck as she hugged him tightly.
Jian returned Neveah’s hug imdiately, his chest rumbled slightly in a chuckle and then his hand moved to Neveah’s waist, securing her weight as he got up to his feet, "I have missed you terribly as well, beloved. Though I did not expect to find you drowning... again..."
"It was the only way I could get to you... you didn’t co to
anymore." Neveah murmured, her voice muffled in Jian’s shoulder.
"It is not that I did not wish to, I could not... I was careless and damaged the pendant your father gave . The crack affected its potency and I had to entrust a mage to repair it." Jian explained.
"The pendant has not been on my person for the past day, and so our dreams could not be connected. I have only just recovered it and was suddenly pulled in here... and sighted a movent in the sea, I ca over to the banks and saw you." Jian related all that had happened.
Neveah breathed a sigh of relief, she had feared Jian was hard and unable to reach her due to that but it was a relief to know he was fine and they had lost contact because the pendant was damaged.
It took a mont to settle her heart but Neveah pulled away. "Jian, I have to tell you sothing..." Neveah began but trailed off when she felt Jian stiffen.
Neveah turned to see what Jian was staring at and her heart dropped first when she took in the vast black sea, stretching ahead of them for as far as the eyes could see.
But that was not what had alard Jian, standing on the banks of the black sea a great distance away from them was a young man, he was faced away from them and it was on him Jian’s gaze was fixed.
A young man...another living being, a strange sight as Neveah and Jian’s rged consciousness usually only inhabited both of them, except on that one occasion.
"Where are we? Who is that?" Neveah whispered warily, uncertain if the young man would be able to hear or see them just as clearly as they could see him.
"This is the realm of forlorn beasts, but not in the present day. Fort Blazed is not here... this is the realm from the past..." Jian explained slowly.
"And he...he is Asrig..." Jian finished in a low tone of disbelief just as the young man turned to face them.
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