Bab 24: Resonance of the Twin Souls
As Vermilion fell asleep that night, she entered another strange dream. In this dream, she found herself standing beside a river with crystal-clear water reflecting the entire blue sky above.
Approaching the river, Vermilion noticed that her reflection appeared as a green spirit in human form on the water's surface. Curiously, she waved to her reflection, but it remained motionless. Feeling perplexed, she reached out and gently touched her reflection, creating a great wave in the river. To her surprise, her reflection started glowing brighter.
Shocked by this phenomenon, Vermilion stepped back, allowing the river to calm down. Once the water was serene again, she approached her reflection. This time, it clearly mirrored her face and physical body. Yet, her reflection's eyes remained closed and her attempts to move her hand yielded no response.
Suddenly, her reflection's eyes opened, and she smiled warmly at Vermilion. Her reflection began to speak in a soft and firm voice.
"Finally... We meet again..."
"Are you the one who spoke to me in my previous dream?"
"No, the one who spoke to you then was yourself from your previous dream…"
"Then who are you?"
"I am a lost part of you…"
Confused, Vermilion asked, "So, you're me too?"
"Yes, we were one before, but the accident of that night separated us. Without you, I am nothing and can't go anywhere... until I sensed your presence. You are so close to me right now... You have to search for me…"
"Searching for you? But where are you now?"
"In the village... On the mountain... where we first met... Surprisingly, you were a little girl back then after transforming into human form... But now, you are a teenage girl already…"
"Village? You seem to know a lot about me. Do you have any idea who I am? Where I came from? Am I even a human?"
"Sadly, I have no answer to those questions... The only thing I know is that I am a part of you..."
Undeterred, Vermilion assured her reflection, "Never mind. I will search for you. But how will I find you once I reach the village?"
"I will guide you... through your heart... then you will know where I am," her reflection explained, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I got it. Why are you crying…?"
"I'm just too happy… I thought there was no way I would see you again, let alone reunite with you… I've been waiting for you…" her reflection expressed with joy before slowly fading away from the river.
"My lost part?"
Vermilion woke up from the dream, feeling her eyes wet with tears. She looked around the room and noticed Ayukawa sitting against the wall, napping.
"This is not a dream… I can assure this time!" Vermilion affirmed to herself.
"Hmm? You've awakened. You slept longer than me," Ayukawa remarked.
"Really?! What time is it now?"
"It's almost afternoon…"
"Is it this late already?! I had no idea."
Vermilion rushed to the front door, quickly putting on her shoes. As she opened the door, she realized that it had been raining since the morning.
"It's raining, but there's no umbrella here… Forget it, I must go to the village right now!" Vermilion declared to herself.
"Hey! Where are you going?! Can't you see it's raining?!" Ayukawa called after her.
"To the village on the mountain! I'll be back soon!"
Ignoring Ayukawa's protests, Vermilion ran towards the village. The sky became even cloudier as she reached the forest, making the land slippery due to the rain. The soft soil in the forest further slowed her progress, forcing her to proceed slowly.
As she lingered in the forest, the rain gradually subsided, but the fog started to obscure her view, making it difficult to see the road ahead. Vermilion sought refuge under a tree, waiting for the fog to clear. However, despite standing there for almost an hour, the fog persisted.
She closed her eyes, feeling the gentle touch of raindrops on her face, and began to think.
"This feeling… Is it somewhat similar to standing under a waterfall, like the man I met yesterday?"
"Has the war with Nisaeria already started?"
"Is he firing a gun at the enemy right now?"
"How is Lyon doing?"
"How am I going to search for 'her' after I reach the village?"
Lost in her thoughts, she waited under the tree. Four hours passed, but the fog remained thick in the forest. Vermilion grew impatient and decided to walk through the forest to the village, following the vague direction she remembered from the night when she was brought there by the villagers.
During her journey, she unexpectedly encountered a wild boar with its cubs blocking her path. Trying to avoid alarming the boar, Vermilion cautiously attempted to pass by, but her presence seemed to provoke the creature, and it started to chase her.
"Oh gosh! It will kill me for sure!"
Vermilion ran for her life through the foggy forest, but she soon lost her way and couldn't recognize the correct path. The wild boar continued its pursuit, and she was almost out of breath. At that moment, she 'heard' a voice murmuring from her heart.
"Follow my instructions… I will guide you to the village…" the voice murmured.
"Hu Hu Hu! It's the voice again! I'll follow you, but… Hu Hu… I'm in real danger right now!" Vermilion gasped.
"Move to the right…!"
"Okay!"
"Run up the small hill there…!"
"I got it! It's getting closer to me now!"
"Hang on! You're almost there…!"
"Hu Hu Hu…" Vermilion almost breathless.
"Do you see two huge trees in front? Run through the gap between them…!"
"Alright!"
As Vermilion ran through the gap between the two huge trees, the wild boar tried to follow, but it got stuck, as the space was only large enough for a human to squeeze through.
"Phew! That was close… Where am I now?"
"Just turn yourself around, and keep walking straight…"
"Alright."
Following the voice's instructions, Vermilion walked straight until she finally emerged from the foggy forest. As she stepped out, the sun appeared, the rain had ceased, and the clouds dispersed. Puddles on the mud road after the rain reflected her dreamt reflection.
"At last, you are here…"
"What a thrilling journey… Where can I find you? It seems empty here…"
"You accidentally activated your power that night, and the whole village has been shifted to the parallel space you created after you left with those villagers..."
"Power? Parallel space? What are those things?"
"Just walk forward twenty-one steps… You will find out the answer soon…"
"Okay… One, Two, Three, … Six, Seven, … Twenty-one. Nothing happened… What's next?"
"Close your eyes… And pay attention… Imagine you are in danger or dying slowly…"
"Sounds weird… but I will do what you said…"
"If you succeed… then you will be able to come over here…"
Vermilion vividly recalled the worst encounter she had faced so far—the moment when the assassin had shot at her, nearly taking her life. Her heart pounded with fear, and she broke into a cold sweat. But amidst this rush of emotions, a peculiar and energized feeling surged through her body, as if she were releasing some untamed energy.
"You nailed it... You may open your eyes..."
"I just felt something inside me…"
Vermilion's eyes fluttered open, and as she surveyed her surroundings, she realized she was standing in the very same ruined village that had vanished. The sight left Vermilion in shock and rendered her speechless, for she had just borne witness to a phenomenon beyond comprehension.
Amidst the desolation, she noticed numerous villagers and soldiers' lifeless bodies scattered among the ruins. However, what truly caught Vermilion's attention were the shattered stones that emitted an eerie, mesmerizing green light.
"What are these glaring stones?" Vermilion asked, her eyes fixed on the mysterious glowing shattered stone.
"They are me, and also you…" the voice replied cryptically.
"Me and you?!"
"Yes... I need you to come over to the biggest stone here, the one that's glaring the most…"
"The biggest one... This one?" Vermilion followed the voice's guidance and approached the most radiant stone.
"Yes... Place your hand onto it..."
As Vermilion placed her hand onto the stone, it responded by shaking heavily. The green light that enveloped the stone began to flow slowly into Vermilion through her hand. The sky and her surroundings plunged into complete darkness until numerous meteors appeared across the sky, illuminating the void.
"What are all these?! Why am I absorbing these lights?!" Vermilion exclaimed, bewildered by the extraordinary occurrence.
"I'm so glad... I'm able to return to you as one again... Farewell..." the voice spoke softly and disappeared.
"Wait! I can't describe this strange feeling, but... I can feel power flowing through my body..." Vermilion sensed an unusual surge of energy within her.
After absorbing all the light from the stone, Vermilion lost consciousness and knelt on the ground. Only when night had fallen did she regain consciousness. Slowly standing up, her face appeared to be filled with excitement and joy. Her eyes sparkled with newfound vitality.
"The power... I can feel it from inside... right now!"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone