For the first time in his life, Gael started a conversation with a woman as if walking on eggshells. She exuded a peculiar strangeness, and even Gael felt cornered with that pale face staring at him, as if expecting reprimands or something worse... 'Why does the system only send us to such fucked up missions?' He thought for a moment.
After asking some questions and observing reactions indicating it was prudent to end the interaction, Zane suggested that they read her mind once and for all. Gael readily agreed, but now they were requesting her cooperation.
Expressing the desire to read Rehvka's memories, Gael noticed that this made her even more excited. 'Finish this quickly and let's go.' Zane said harshly in their minds, and Gael agreed, aware that if Rehvka could hear, she would become even more thrilled.
Thus, a gentle Qi emanating from their soul gems penetrated as smoothly as they could into her forehead, triggering the revelation of her memories.
Rehvka was an ordinary human cultivator who saw her life shaped from the beginning by the influence of the Queen in her Universe. The Queen's sovereignty over the races led everyone, from a certain realm onward, to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of gems. And inexplicably, the soul gems disappeared every millennium.
However, unlike most, Rehvka had an extraordinary disposition for study and, motivated by curiosity, dedicated her existence to researching these unique soul gems.
After hundreds of years of in-depth studies, Rehvka was fortunate to witness the emergence of consciousness from one of these gems. Initially driven by curiosity, she established a solid bond with this consciousness, treating it as an equal and sharing all knowledge about the world. This interaction quickly evolved into something solid, like a mother teaching a newborn to speak and understand the world.
Through trial and error, she managed to create a body for this consciousness, using parts of animals and mechanical components. To her surprise, the gem could seamlessly fuse with almost any type of body, interacting fully with the world.
Thus, they became inseparable, dedicating themselves together to the continuation of their studies. The consciousness in the gem became her pupil, and each day, it seemed to quickly surpass her in studies.
Over the years together, Rehvka's understanding of these life forms only grew, but a gap persisted in her understanding. It was as if she had an open book in front of her, but when trying to read it, she couldn't decipher the letters, even though she knew how to read. That's when her pupil noticed something obvious that she couldn't see before for unknown reasons.
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Something was amiss in the nature of her Universe and the fate of soul gems. In a short time, that consciousness put together the obvious pieces of the puzzle and was astonished. Why had no one ever noticed these clear clues?
The answer came quickly, and Rehvka's reality changed completely after hearing that conclusion. It was as if she had touched something she shouldn't, and a strange headache was the first symptom; days later, her consciousness began to blur.
Her pupil then realized that reality was even more terrifying: Rehvka was being rejected by the laws of the world; she had broken a celestial law. And she would never have come to this if not for its interference.
Days unfolded, and her condition worsened. At one point, she lost her autonomy completely, attempting to end her life as if something possessed her. Her pupil stopped her numerous times, understanding the terror and despair she faced. It all lasted almost a year, and Rehvka seemed to have felt time passing, but she had no memory of anything as if her entire being had been possessed.
On a dark and cold night, she opened her eyes, and her consciousness and autonomy seemed to have suddenly returned. She found herself in an open and empty field. The only thing nearby was the body she had built for her pupil.
However, there was no longer the soul gem there, nor any trace of its consciousness. It took her a while to realize, but her heart no longer beat, and her blood did not flow. Upon close examination, she was astonished to find that, in place of the heart, there was a soul gem, the same as her assistant's, but with no trace of him.
Zane and Gael then understood. The Queen controlled all forms of life, but Rehvka was no longer alive. The soul gem could absorb the Yin and Yang of the world, using the Yang of life to keep the soul in the body. The Yin of death transformed her entire existence, becoming the chains that bound her to the world.
So that Rehvka could live, she needed to die. The properties of the soul gem gave rise to a miracle that surprised even the Queen in the other Universe, creating an undead and then a demonic lord outside of her clutches.
A few hours passed as Zane and Gael concluded the reading of Rehvka's memories. Three days had passed since their return, and it would probably take at most another two or three days for the elven heroine to regain control of the formation. Of course, they had to leave before that.
As their Qi distanced itself from Rehvka, their gazes met. She still wore the same strange smile, but neither Zane nor Gael felt any repulsion towards her anymore.
Her story, on some level, was a mix of his wife's experiences and theirs. She broke a law imposed by the Queen's domain in this Universe and needed to die. Her pupil was similar to them and was not under the Queen's control. However, unlike them, who were completely useless and powerless, the pupil managed to save her. He did what they could not: saved the life of the one he loved. How many times would Zane and Gael exchange their lives if they could have performed the same?
The undead lady and the soul gem's consciousness had a strong relationship, like that of a mother and son, and the consciousness found an unconventional way to use his soul gem in her. 'She's a true undead, like in Earth's movies and games,' Gael commented contemplatively.
Zane continued to look at her without saying anything. However, Gael could feel everything Zane was experiencing, and astonishment quickly arose in him. He knew that feeling well from Zane.
'You... we will never meet again. Don't get attached like this,' Gael said mentally.
'Be quiet. I do only what I want, and I'll only help a bit because she'll be useful to complete the mission,' Zane retorted, unable to convey any credibility in his words.
Silence permeated the room until Zane spoke with his robotic voice. "It's exactly as you imagined. I came from another universe, and I'm hunting down the Queen who torments your Universe."
Rehvka froze, and her face subtly seemed to come back to life, gaining a rosy and vibrant tone. Her eyes quickly became teary.
Zane then continued, "I won't stay here for long, and I'll sort everything out quickly. But as a junior ally who fought against the Queen... I'm willing to accept you as a disciple in name."