CHAPTER 26: ELYSIA ATHAS P2
~26.2~
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“What is this?” She asked. She slowly stepped forward, but felt gravity massively increasing the closer she got. Standing at arm’s length, she could barely stay on her feet.
The clone smiled and faded into white aether that quickly absorbed into the unconscious girl.
“What?”
Her eyes widened as she realized she spoke out loud.
“How?”
Her mouth did not move, yet the words could be heard, regardless. Her very thoughts sounded throughout the white expanse. She looked up at the unconscious girl and couldn’t figure out what she was looking at.
“She’s... me. What is this? Why am I here? Why am I bound like that?”
She reached toward the white-haired girl’s face, barely able to keep her arm from falling from the immense gravity. As her hand moved closer, her vision gradually shifted. The white hair she saw started to turn blonde. She quickly realized what was happening and pulled her hand back. Her vision had switched perspectives, and she saw herself from the white-haired girl’s eyes. Her vision returned to normal, but she felt a longing, as if all she wanted was to touch the girl in front of her.
“What happens if I do this?”
But she didn’t give it any thought. The longing grew so strong that she felt the only thing she could do was to give in. She reached for the girl’s face again. Her vision shifted and she could see herself from the girl’s perspective again. She watched as her own body turned to white aether and was absorbed into what she could only describe as herself.
A moment later, the white-haired girl’s eyes opened, and the bands of white shattered. The girl held her hand up, and she confirmed it. The memories she had seen before flashed through her mind, and many more followed. She closed her eyes and concentrated. All the memories that were sealed were coming back. Everything from her first moment as a baby in Eve’s arms in Alexandria to her last moment before she ripped out and split her own soul in Worldline Alpha to the moment she began transmigrating in Worldline Omega. She remembered everything.
She then realized that the person she thought she was since then was nothing more than a projection. An astral self with a pseudo body, exactly like Alfia. “I’ve returned to my body, but at what cost?” The only thought that crossed her mind after realizing the truth was that she wanted to see her family again. She closed her eyes for a moment and pictured her pink-haired partner.
*****
In the bedroom where Kye and Sanae were resting, Alethea, Hannah, and Layla were watching her without almost no rest. Two of the three were always there, and Alethea slept in the bed next to them when she had to sleep.
They had been chatting for a while, but froze when Kye’s body started glowing white. Her body was quickly engulfed in silvery white aether that solidified until she couldn’t be seen. The pressure from the aether released a gust of air and blew the blankets off the bed. With a bright flash, the bed was destroyed, and cracks formed on the floor, walls, and ceiling nearby. Only Alethea, Hannah, Layla, and Sanae withstood the aether, a skin-tight silver barrier surrounding each. The surrounding furniture was pushed into the walls.
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When the light faded, Kye was standing where the bed had been. She opened her eyes and looked around until she found Alethea.
She smiled. “Maya... my queen.”
“K-Kye?” Alethea reached out and touched her lover’s face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just fine, love,” she said with a warm smile before kissing her pink-haired partner. Layla raised an eyebrow, looking at Hannah, who was smirking at the sight.
Alethea pulled away for a moment, just long enough to say, “Shi-chan, what’s going o-” She was quickly pulled her into another kiss, one that lasted what felt like years to her. Weak in the knees, Alethea buckled, but she did not fall. Her partner held her up.
“I have missed you dearly, my queen.” The now-white-haired girl finally pulled away.
“Q-queen?” Alethea’s eyes were wide with a mix of surprise and joy. Sanae smirked as she watched the two.
“What do you mean?” Layla asked. “Kye, are you certain you’re okay? You just went through quite the episode.”
She looked at her with the same warm smile, “I’m quite alright, Ms. Layla. No... you’re not... you’re my mother. Yes.”
Layla started stepping toward her. “You’re clearly a little confused. You should rest a while longer.”
The girl shook her head. “No. It’s not that. My memories are a jumbled mess right now. My mortal memories only span two decades here, and another five trillion years in this worldline since I began transmigrating. Compared to everything I just recovered, that’s a grain of sand. Ah, but that requires an explanation... The details are secret and I would like time to sort myself before explaining, but suffice to say that I am Elysia Athas. You are Kye’s mother, Layla Barrett, correct?”
“Kye, sweetie, you’re not making sense.”
Alethea shook her head. “This isn’t Kye.” Alethea was smiling at her white-haired partner with a tear in each eye. “Layla, Hannah, she has recovered her memories.”
“What do you...?” Layla didn’t finish her question.
“Memories or not,” Hannah said, “her health comes first.” She stood in front of the white-haired girl and told her to follow her finger. She performed a few other tests before smiling and saying, “You seem okay physically. Mentally, is another story, but you said it yourself... your mind is a jumbled mess.”
“Yes,” she said with a nod. “I’ll need a bit of time to sort everything out. How much time do I have until Kye Akari is expected to be somewhere or do something?”
“A few days. It’s almost time for the new year at the academy,” Layla answered. She still hadn’t heard her answer. “What is going on?”
“Sister, you’re confusing them,” Sanae said, smiling with her eyes closed. “You know better.”
“Ah, my apologies,” she said. “Formal introductions are in order. For reasons I will not state at this time, I had to seal away my own memories. I split my soul from my body, something which I do not recommend, by the way... the pain is the worst you’ll ever feel, and that is why Kye Akari so adamantly refused to turn the system back on.” She glanced at Sanae. “This is the second time we’ve gone through that, albeit this time it was not completed.”
Sanae nodded. “The first time was much worse.”
“Perhaps that’s why you didn’t go in shock like Kye did. It’s good you survived. It would be quite a hassle to create yet another body, at least nine months, if not more. I’m glad you’re safe, Fia... no, Sanae? I’m a bit saddened that your old body. You spent so long building it up.”
She giggled. “Indeed. In a twist, I lost my pseudo body, and you regained our original body. Something that hasn’t happened in any other worldline, I might add. We should discuss that later.”
“Indeed.” Elysia turned back to her mortal family. “Anyway, my soul and body have been reunited. The shock of the system trying to rip my soul from my mortal body triggered this. I’ll describe the dream another time. The important part is that I am still Kye Akari, but I am restored. Allow me to demonstrate-”
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Revision: 2024-8-25