novelraw Chapter 239: The Descent Into The Void
Chapter 239: The Descent Into The Void
Mirabella blinked in surprise, a slight frown on her face as the oppressive silence of the ancient ruins pressed down on her. The psychic intrusion bypassed her mental defenses completely. ’Why does that voice---’
"---Instead of you standing there and murmuring to yourself, you should come in and find out yourself."
The voice sounded again, reaching her ears smoothly. It wasn’t an echo from the dark corridor, but a resonance that seemed to vibrate directly against her soul, vibrating with a commanding, ancient authority.
Cupcake turned to her, eyes filled with confusion. The familiar’s fur stood on end, sensing an entity that defied the very logic of their reality.
"Let’s go, Cupcake, at least I should get back my sword." Mirabella said, her tone attempting to mask the unease bubbling in her chest. She stepped forward, entering the darkness with Cupcake not letting go of her shoulder, her tiny claws digging deeply into the fabric of Mirabella’s uniform.
’I shouldn’t be scared, besides, Master is here... But why am I still scared of this place?’ Cupcake thought, her body trembling slightly. Moving her gaze, even when having night vision—the winged cat couldn’t see more than one foot from their location. The darkness here wasn’t merely the absence of light; it was a heavy, suffocating spatial void.
Mirabella moved her gaze around, spotting the red light in the distance. It pulsed like a slow, beating heart, cutting through the abyssal blackness.
"Huh?"
Mirabella believed nothing in Galaxy Fall could shock her. As someone who had regressed and fought wars against monstrous tides, she thought she knew the absolute limits of this world’s system. But all the recent things that had happened, have utterly changed that thought. She just discovered, there were more to Galaxy Fall that met the eye—hidden layers of history and power that predated the Eagle, Sword, and Dragon empires entirely.
Unbeknownst to her, she followed the red light, not slowing down for a second. Her usually sharp tactical mind was clouded, and she couldn’t even see the countless eyes staring at her through the darkness of their surroundings.
But Cupcake was different. She couldn’t see the red light, but she can clearly see the eyes staring at them. They blinked slowly in the void; some of the eyes were even bigger than a human’s head, glowing with a cold, predatory intelligence.
"Master, Do... Do you think we are safe here?" Cupcake whispered, her voice barely a squeak.
"We are safe." Mirabella answered, walking forward like someone who was hypnotized, her steps perfectly rhythmic, drawn inexorably toward the crimson beacon.
".....!"
Cupcake was speechless, and silently waited. Her beast instincts were screaming at her to flee, but she knew one thing; if the owners of these eyes want them dead, they would have died a long time ago, so just go with the flow.
She closed her eyes, and moved closer into Mirabella’s neck, still covering her face with her wings, choosing blind trust in her Master over the terrifying reality of the void.
__
[Ten Minutes Later.]
WHOOSH!!!
After ten minutes of walking in pitch darkness, a sound finally sounded, causing Cupcake to look up. It was the heavy grinding of stone, a profound shift in the atmospheric pressure.
A door slowly moved to the side, and from it, light shone all over the place. Cupcake quickly moved her gaze around, expecting to see a Boss monster or a hidden trap room, but saw nothing of the sort.
Mirabella blinked, and shook her head, the hypnotic fog suddenly lifting from her mind. Her face filled with confusion as she regained her awareness: "What? How did we get here? I thought we entered the sword door?"
"...?!"
Now Cupcake was lost. If her Master didn’t even know how they traversed the void, they were truly at the mercy of whatever lay beyond the threshold.
"Fufufufu... Sorry about that, come on ahead, don’t keep me waiting."
The voice sounded from the light emanating from the door. The two looked at one another, then at the door. None of them knew how they got here, and it was already late to go back.
’Go back?! There is no fucking exit!!’ Cupcake yelled Inwardly, looking over her shoulder at the solid wall of blackness that had instantly sealed behind them.
Mirabella exhaled, a cold sweat breaking out on her back as the realization of her vulnerability hit her. ’I got controlled, without even knowing... Adira, Cupcake and even the Master system didn’t sense anything...’
To bypass the framework of the Master system itself was a feat of impossible magnitude. ’Is the woman at the other side this terrifying?’
"Fufufu... Your thoughts are moving wildly. You shouldn’t be keeping me waiting, Mira."
Mirabella froze, her eyes widening. The nickname struck her like physical lightning. She didn’t care if the woman was hearing her thoughts, and just ran towards the light, her usual disciplined demeanor shattering. Her action confusing Cupcake, who had to hold on tightly to avoid falling off.
_
Mirabella crossed the door, appearing in a beautiful garden. It was a dimension of impossible serenity. Countless Flowers were all over the place, arranged perfectly, surrounding the small land at the center. The air smelled of blooming jasmine and ancient, pure energy.
Mirabella slowly stopped in front of the bridge, staring at the clear water after the flowers, and slowly stepped forward, turning her head to the decorated gazebo before her. It was constructed of white, pearlescent wood that seemed to hum with life.
Cupcake looked up at the clear blue sky, seeing nothing but fluffy clouds. There was no sun, yet the realm was perfectly illuminated.
’This place is so beautiful, and the air is calming.’ She thought, the terrifying eyes of the void completely forgotten. She stared at her Master, whose gaze was fixed ahead, unblinking.
Cupcake turned her head towards the gazebo, and was stunned, staring at the woman smiling at them from the other end. She wore a simple, elegant dress, and her aura radiated warmth and an unimaginable depth of power.
"This?"
When Mirabella reached ten years old, her mother gave Cupcake to her as her birthday present, because Mirabella has always wanted a pet. Back then, Cupcake was still a kitten, but she will never forget the woman who had bound their souls together.
"Mother?" Mirabella called out, her voice cracking. She stood still shocked, her gaze fixed on the woman before her as tears filled her eyes. All the weight of her past life, the betrayal, the wars, and the burden of leading the Dragon Academy melted away in an instant.
"My beautiful Mira, won’t you give your mother a hug?" Genevieve asked, opening her arms wide, her smile radiant and filled with profound maternal love.
There was no word, no reply, nothing. Mirabella simply ran towards her mother, shedding the tough exterior of a warrior. Before she could reach her, Cupcake jumped off her shoulder, landing gracefully on the ground. The winged familiar sat back on her haunches, watching quietly as the mother and daughter embraced one another tightly. And for the first time since Cupcake had known her across two lives, she saw her master cry.