Yaaaayy!

I'm back

You all still here?!?

>>Amber

I keep falling

Into this dark endless void

I float down, slowly losing my consciousness, slipping away like sand through my fingers. The darkness wrapped around me, a cold, unfeeling embrace. My thoughts were disjointed, struggling to coalesce into something coherent.

But there was something—someone—piercing through the void. A voice, faint and distant, yet unmistakably familiar. It echoed in the silence, a lifeline reaching into the abyss.

I heard him.

Hael

His voice was ragged, filled with desperation and fear, and it wrapped around me like a warm, tangible presence. The words were broken, pleading, but there was a sense of urgency and determination in them that I couldn't ignore.

"Orenya... Please... Stay with me."

Orenya?

His voice trembled through the darkness, and I felt his magic seeping into me. It was a strange sensation—almost like a gentle warmth amidst the cold void. His power was weak, struggling against the darkness that surrounded me, but it was there, a flicker of light in the engulfing blackness.

A warm flame in the cold void

It tried to reach me, to pull me back from the edge.

I sensed his touch, the faintest hint of his presence brushing against my consciousness. It was a sensation that made me cling to the edge of awareness, if only for a moment. The magic might not have been strong enough to heal me, but the feeling of his voice and his touch—it was grounding, it was real.

"Rosie!" I called out, my voice echoing faintly through the void. "Rosie! I need your help!!"

I knew I didn't have time, I had barely gotten myself together and I knew it wasn't going to last.

"Rosie!!" I summoned her presence, reaching out with every ounce of my fading strength. I knew she was here somewhere.

I felt a faint connection, a thin thread of hope as I tried to wake up enough to summon Rosie. I focused all my energy on calling her, willing her to break through the darkness and come to my aid. My willpower was faltering, but the desperate need to survive kept me fighting against the pull of the void.

For a brief moment, I could almost feel Rosie's presence solidifying, a gentle pressure against my mind as if she was answering my call. The darkness around me wavered, and I held on to that fleeting hope, clinging to the possibility of pulling myself back from the brink

***

>>Hael

I kept my eyes tightly shut as I held her cold, lifeless hands. The chill of her skin seeped through my fingers, intensifying the crushing weight of fear that pressed down on me as I sat beside her.

Every second felt like an eternity, and I was consumed by the dread that I might lose her. I was pouring all of my magic into her, but it seemed to be swallowed by the darkness that had taken hold of her.

Desperation clawed at me as I continued my futile attempts to heal her. The miasma that had corrupted her wounds fought back with a ferocity that seemed almost sentient, repelling my healing magic and mocking my every effort. I could feel the cold emptiness seeping into my own soul, a reflection of the void that threatened to consume Amber.

My breaths came in ragged gasps, and I could feel my tears mingling with the blood-soaked bedding. My mind was a turbulent storm of regret and helplessness. I had been so focused on my magic, trying to force it to work against the darkness, that I barely noticed the change that began to stir around us.

Suddenly, I felt something shift. It was subtle at first, a faint sensation like a whisper of warmth that brushed against the cold reality I was immersed in. It was as if a glimmer of light had pierced through the unrelenting darkness. I kept my eyes closed, straining to make sense of it, but the feeling grew stronger, more insistent.

Without warning, I shot my eyes open, my heart racing with a sudden jolt of hope. Above Amber's motionless form, a radiant glow began to materialize. I blinked in disbelief as I saw the ethereal figure of Rosie's spirit emerging from the air. Her presence was a luminous beacon, her body bathed in a pure, white light that seemed to drive back the shadows of the room.

My eyes were wide as I stared at her

Rosie's spirit hovered gently above Amber. Her eyes were closed in serene concentration, and her form was oriented toward Amber's still body. There was an otherworldly grace to her appearance, a peaceful radiance that filled the room with an aura of hope and calm. Her glow was casting a soft, holy light that seemed to dispel some of the darkness surrounding us.

My breath caught in my throat as Rosie's spirit descended slowly, her light growing brighter as she drew nearer to Amber. The space between them seemed to shimmer with a palpable energy.

As Rosie's spirit merged with Amber's body, her pale, lifeless form started to glow with the same holy light that had enveloped Rosie.

The miasma that had tainted her wounds seemed to recoil, dissolving under the influence of Rosie's presence.

I watched in silence as the miasma that had been corrupting Amber's body began to dissipate. The malevolent energy that had clung to her wounds vanished, leaving behind a faint, shimmering residue that slowly faded away. Her bleeding stopped, then her wounds began to close up, the blood flow stopping as if the very fabric of her body was being mended by the light.

The color began to return to her skin, a warm hue spreading through her pallid complexion. Her breathing started to stabilize, the faint rise and fall of her chest becoming more regular.

Ah...

A flood of relief washed over me. The heavy weight of despair began to lift.

Rosie's spirit vanished and My Lady looked as if she was only merely sleeping.

I reached out, my trembling fingers gently brushing against her now-warm skin. The sight of her slowly returning to life was a balm.

I didn't think Rosie could come out of her body to do something like this.

Amber's eyes remained closed, but the peaceful expression on her face and the steady rhythm of her breathing were signs that she was no longer on the brink of death.

My body relaxed. The fear and anguish that had consumed me were gradually replaced by a cautious optimism.

But it was temporary.

She was healed but didn't wake up.

Not then, not a few hours later either. And no matter what I tried, she wouldn't wake up.

***

A few days passed. I stood in my lab doing my work with the blood of Amber and my mother. I had poured the blood in the wooden sink and finished casting the spell on it.

This is a long spell. It will take me a few years to finish. But I was done for the day.

I walked to the bedroom, closed the door behind me and made my way towards the bed. She was still there, eyes closed as she slept.

I placed my hand on her hers that were resting on her stomach. Then I poured my magic into her, to make sure she remains healthy.

Even when I was done, I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

"Why aren't you waking up?" I whispered as I asked her the question.

Loid said it was because of the trauma of almost dying. He said he can't pull her out of there, not like how he got her out from her subconscious mind.

There was a knock on the door.

Four knocks.

It was Archmage Asael

I removed my hand from Amber and turned to look at the door.

"Come in,"

The door opened revealing Aseal, his fire colored hair reminded me of someone. He had green eyes under that lace that covered his eyes like the rest of the archmages. "Master Hael," He said politely, "A noble lady insists on meeting you, saying you know her."

"A noble lady?" I paused, "..." I sensed her presence behind him, "Let her in,"

As I gave the command, Asael stepped aside, letting a woman with red hair and green eyes enter my room.

It seems Asael and she are related.

"Leave us, Aseal," I said and he quietly left, closing the door behind him.

Once it was just the two of us, she stepped towards me, "Master Hael," She addressed me, "You don't know me," She seemed somewhat stressed, "But please hear me out. I know you, it all might seem like I'm going to blabber nonsense-"

I began to walk towards the long table, "I know you," I cut her words

"Yes?" She was startled.

"Enya Wellington," I reached the table, pulled out a chair for myself and took a seat, my body facing her direction.

"You know me?" She frowned.

Placing one leg over the other, I looked at her, "And your twin brother, Einar," My words clicked in her mind, "Where is he?" I leaned my face on my palm while my elbow rested on the surface of the table.

"..." Enya stared at me, "Your spell worked," She said after a pause, "Didn't it?" She glanced at Amber, "Her death- 'almost death' pulled the trigger." She looked back at me, "You remember everything from the first timeline, don't you?"

"Of course it was going to work." I replied, "It was 'my' spell,"

She scoffed, "You weren't this cocky when I last met you."

"I wasn't this sober either." I replied as I kept my eyes on her, "Where's Einar?"

She smirked, "What?" Her gaze was looking into mine, "Afraid he ran away?"

>>Enya

I couldn't help but let out a laugh

A shot mocking laugh

"You know better than anyone," I said as I recalled it, "Out of all five of us who were present in this very room." I pointed to the floor with my index finger, "You," I then pointed the same finger at Hael, "Looked like the most unreliable person." I shook my head, "Not my brother."

His eyebrow twitched at my words but he didn't say anything

Why would he?

He knows I'm right.

This man who is sitting in front of me at the moment, is entirely different from the man I met in the original timeline.