At Aster's statement, Keira was lost for words. She felt herself choke up from her own breath, as she was holding it in after Aster spoke that phrase. Her brain couldn't function as she continued to stare into Aster's doting gaze. Seemingly expressing that after saying those words, Aster finally felt a weight on his lift. He wanted to express those words for a long time. And to be given another opportunity by God, he never felt any happier.
Keira, "Aster I—"
The moment Keira was just about to respond, her Elly screamed inside her head.
System 999: [Host!!! I have successfully located the Manpasikjeok!]
Keira who was still in a trance replied,
Keira: [What?]
System 999: [It is near the vicinity of a knight that Aster brought along!]
At those words, Keira finally snapped out from her dazed state and looked at Aster with a serious front, hiding the visible emotions that were previously seen.
Keira, "I sense where the Manpasikjeok is."
Seeing Keira cover her real thoughts and emotions once again with this guarded appearance and sudden change of topic, crushed his pitiful heart. He knows he shouldn't show such an embarrassing display in front of Keira so he also puts on his usual facade.
Aster showed Keira an amiable smile and asked, "Where is it?"
Keira hastily replied, "It's near one of you knights. Let's go"
She quickly leaves the scene, desperately trying to escape the uncomfortable situation. Aster stood still for a moment, looking at Keira's back getting further and further away. He felt that not only was she physically moving away from him, but also trying to put on an invisible hard cold wall that he couldn't break through. He felt his heart grow cold.
Maybe she didn't just build the wall just now. Conceivably, she may have already had those walls up far longer than he had known, only he was too blind as to not notice it at first. Thinking he already knows everything about Keira was just Aster's wishful thinking.
'Perhaps, it is not me alone that carries a mask.'
…
Appearing on the spot that her system directed her, the land didn't seem to have anything unusual but Elly is repeatedly shouting at the back of her head saying that this is the place. The knight who was near this place saluted and greeted her respectfully. The knight still couldn't hide the questioning gaze toward Keira. He was about to ask Keira what she was doing here when he was already surveying this area, but seeing His Highness following behind her he felt like he didn't need to ask and just leave them be.
Nevertheless, Keira still explained, "I sensed the Manpasikjeok around here"
The knight nodded and stepped back from the scene. Keira didn't bother using her senses to try and perceive where the Manpasikjeok is because the system is more reliable and her mind was still frenzied from earlier events.
System 999: [Walk just 5 steps to the right Host. The Manpasikjeok should be lying just underneath that piece of rock!]
Following System 999's instructions, she faced right and walked exactly 5 steps forward before looking down and seeing a very small pebble on the ground. If her system didn't tell her to move 5 steps forward, she wouldn't even notice this tiny piece of rock.
Keira crouches down. Using her bare hands, she began digging straight into the dry soil that was already as hard as stone using the small rock to pound the soil away. Aster furrowed his brows as he looked at Keira who is currently digging dirt with her small frail hands. Aster was about to stop Keira from continuing, when Keira pull a large chunk of land, revealing a beautiful wooden flute covered in dirt.
When the Manpasikjeok was exposed, one could feel the astounding power this piece of wood possesses. Keira couldn't help but gasp at the incredible surge of ineffable feeling the Manpasikjeok brought. Even Aster was also left astounded.
Keira carefully pulled out the Manpasikjeok and used her sleeves to get rid of the excess dirt. When the filth was finally removed, Keira could truly see the exquisite craftsmanship that was used on this magnificent flute. Her heart thumped in excitement from the thought that she could finally move on to the next world. Frantically, she asked her system.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Keira: [Elly! Elly! Elly! What should I do now?]
Her system was also full of excitement as she responded to its Host.
System 999: [You can activate it by imbuing it with your lightness powers Host!]
Keira quickly composed herself and closed her eyes, focused on guiding her light powers to the flute in her hands. The flute began to glow a soft white hue. Aster, who was watching beside Keira, stared in shock. By using her lightness powers, she was already giving herself out. The other knights already ran up to the scene as they saw a white light coming into their place.
Some of the knights present were part of the Lightness and Darkness war, therefore they could not be mistaken for this holy light. Their eyes grew wide as they watched an implausible scene in front of them. 'How is this possible—?' is the question that evokes their minds.
While the others were in awe, Aster had a bad premonition. As the light grew brighter and brighter, almost blinding everyone, the pure light suddenly turned purple. Becoming darker and darker as seconds pass by. Keira, who was oblivious to this as she had her eyes closed, continued feeding the Manpasikjeok her powers.
Aster, who noticed the abnormality, tried to move closer to Keira but an unknown force was blocking him from moving one step closer to her. Seeing he could not move any further, he decided to shout instead.
Aster, "Kei! Kei! Kei!"
Aster repeatedly tried to call her attention but it seems like his voice isn't reaching Keira. He called more desperately this time, afraid of losing her once again.
"Keira!"
When Keira heard her name, she finally opened her eyes but what greeted her was not the face of the person calling her but a vast empty void. She looked around her surroundings only to see the same landscape. Wherever she looked, it was completely dark. Not a single speck of light could be seen. Keira thought she had gone blind so she quickly touched her eyes, but sensing her eyes were not damaged she sighed in relief.
Keira: [Elly? Are you there?]
No response.
Keira: [Elly stop kidding me already.]
No response.
Keira: [Stop playing games Elly and come out!]
Still no response.
Keira finally felt fear. Not being able to see, hear or feel anything aside from her body was already terrifying enough in itself. Now she couldn't even access her system window.
She was left all alone in this dark place.
Anxiety began bubbling up her chest as she frantically looked around, but everywhere she faced, looked the same. She tried running in any direction, but it still looked the same. Everything was covered in darkness. Like she was stuck in an abyss, with nowhere to escape. She couldn't even see her own body as it was too dark to see anything. Anxiety turned into panic.
"Hello! Is anybody out there?!"
She tried calling out for any signs of life, or any signs of just anything. But no matter how hard she screams, only silence greets her. Seeing her helplessness crouched down and hug herself.
She patiently hoped that a system alarm would sound and the familiar voice of her system would come. But even after waiting for some time, her surrounding still remained as eerily quiet as ever, that she could even start to hear her own heartbeat.
Being stuck in complete darkness would definitely turn anyone crazy if they were to stay for an extended period of time.
Just thinking of that possibility, greatly increased her anxiety. She could not stop herself from having such thoughts as in a space with the contact of her omnipotent system have been cut off, anything could happen.
Like mocking Keira in the face, Keira heard a deep yet fearsome voice she had not heard for a great amount of time.
A familiar voice that was embedded so deep through her bones ignited a fury she had buried for a long time yet this voice also belongs to the person she is the most afraid of.
"Keira, where are you hiding?"
Goosebumps could not stop themselves from forming unwillingly.
'Ha, this is just revolting.'
Her system was nowhere to be heard, she has no clue where she is and where her exit might be. Now this sickening voice she had forgotten is haunting her once again? Fucking disgusting.
The voice kept calling her in the darkness and got closer and closer, becoming louder and louder. Keira looked around trying to find its source.
"Where did your mo… hide you huh?" Although the voice had become piercing in the ears, the words that the person was speaking were incoherent, and could barely count as proper sentences. Yet, those words were clear as day in Keira's mind.
She could not stop herself from covering her ears, trying to block the person's voice from reaching through her eardrums. Although she loathes this person to death, fear was still dwelling inside her. Trying to get rid of the nauseating voice, she repeated the words in her mind.
'I already killed him off my life.'
Only after repeating those words in her mind did Keira finally slowly calm down.
After quite some time, Keira finally calmed down and quieted her mind. This Manpasikjeok must be playing with her. Her rationality finally came back as she released the unwanted tension she felt. She once again repressed the deep emotions she hid.
There must be a way out of here some way or another. She arrived at this place, so there has to be an exit. The only problem is—she doesn't have any clue where to begin. Everything was black and nothing was in sight.
Recalling the events that had happened before she arrived at this place, she was activating the Manpasikjeok. So it is likely that the Manpasikjeok is also the reason behind all of this. She only followed what her system told her, and now she was stuck at this place. Keira cursed her system under her breath. Then she recalled,
"That's right! I still have my powers on me!"
Keira closed her eyes and visualized a glowing ball in her hand. Then seeing light radiated from her hand, slowly forming into a ball Keira finally felt cheerful. She could finally see the lower part of her body as she looked down. Seeing nothing was wrong with her physically, a huge relief flowed through her body.
Keira peered at the glowing ball in her hands and she could see a very faint trail of white light, softly weaving in a direction. She felt that her powers were guiding her somewhere and perhaps to the exit, she enthusiastically followed its trail.