Fifteen minutes. That was how much time we had left if we tried to keep the spell going longer than it was initially supposed to. Unfortunately, we could hardly make it last longer, as the mana would be completely depleted. Extending a spell beyond the duration programmed into its algorithms by the raw power of mana was a complex operation.
Indeed, the persistent influx of mana, even as the spell's effect faded, could derail the spell and degrade the object on which it was working. While the former was a short-term problem, if the person was unlucky, the latter's effects would almost certainly be felt in the long term. However, as the item in question was my apostle, this decision could impact our mana mastery in the long term.
However, the consequences would be negligible if we only forced the spell to take effect for longer. In any case, with no scroll to recharge the spell, we saw no other way out. So, we only had a limited time to explore this place, even if I had a bad feeling about it. Nevertheless, no matter how careful I was with our surroundings, I didn't detect anything suspicious.
Putting aside this incomprehensible anguish, I watched my apostle's eyes fix on our object of the moment. She exhaled one last time before pushing hard against the bars with her frail hands. Although her face appeared determined, I knew her well enough to detect the traces of uncertainty in her expression.
Considering the physical feat my sister had to accomplish, I understood her perplexity perfectly. Even I thought that trying with her usual frail physical strength would fail. Soon, we'll have to change tactics... At least, that's what I'd initially thought. Life is full of surprises, and this event was a magnificent example.
At the time, neither of us knew what expression to put on our faces. Even today, I'm torn between several emotions at the sight of that scene. After all, not only were the bars ajar, but they were also much lighter to push. It proved that the senses can be deceptive, especially when only one can be trusted.
Indeed, touching the bars had told us that the material must be some kind of metal alloy. But the weight didn't match... Unless the bars had been made of metal and a spell had made them more accessible to push. Although this hypothesis was worth investigating, I abandoned its implications for the Truth of this place for want of evidence to back it up.
Besides, I had no time for fruitless conjecture. Seconds were passing, after all. I could feel them running viscerally through me. So I forced my mind to stop interrupting my concentration, or at least to lessen its hold on my attention span. And so, despite my difficulty keeping an eye on the outside world, my apostle took her first steps out of the dungeon.
Suddenly, an inexplicable feeling of unease came over me.... Or rather us, since my sister also stopped while sweat dripped on her skin. After a few seconds spent regaining control of her emotions, her unusual bodily sensations stopped. She now even wore a slightly confident face.
"If only I could pull myself together as quickly as she did," I thought. I knew all too well my emotional weakness, even if a part of me occasionally covered my face. I was somewhat proud of this state of affairs. Especially as it was this flaw that led me to let this feeling seep into the depths of my being.
Once this uneasiness had taken hold of me, I found it hard to shake it off. To my shame, I couldn't get rid of this obsessive feeling. As a result, I couldn't see the surroundings the same way as before. Even darker, even more ominous, even quieter: that was my new vision of this place. Of course, I understood that my view of the surroundings was wrong.
For example, the surroundings weren't as dark as I'd imagined through the prism of my anxiety. In fact, compared to the dungeon, this place was even brighter, although objects more than a meter away remained complicated to observe in detail. The environment was undoubtedly disquieting, but compared with other landscapes I'd witnessed since my first awakening, it was nothing extreme.
Looking at this landscape, I wasn't going mad... At least, I hoped I wasn't, and even rationally, I was having trouble convincing myself. It was further proof that we had to leave this place, which conjured up disconcerting images. Once again, I suspected my mind was recalling snatches of memories from before my amnesia, attesting to a traumatic experience in an environment similar to the present one.
Finally, although the place was quiet, it wasn't entirely silent. Indeed, a few drops of an unknown liquid trickled from the pipes onto the floor. Although we couldn't see the pipes for ourselves, my apostle's head remembered them. Despite standing on all fours, one of the pipes had been low enough on the wall for her to catch it in the face when she turned her head towards the wall on her way out of the dungeon.
As a result of this fortuitous event, I could feel blood slowly trickling down her head. Fortunately, the hemorrhage soon seemed to subside, so we didn't have a worry in the world. In fact, apart from this accident, nothing of note happened during that first minute... Or almost nothing. But I had a strange feeling: the impression of being watched.
This impression alone made me hesitant about the choice we'd made. We could have rushed out of the dungeon when staying inside. It was only natural that I should discuss my concerns with Systalia. Fortunately, I had managed to convince her. She hurried back, a look of apprehension appearing as she drew closer to the gaol.
Three minutes had passed since we'd first wandered in, and we were once again standing in front of the bars of our prison cell. What a surprise! The bars refused to let us in no matter how hard my apostle pushed. I heard her swallow while my etheric body was paralyzed as I stared at the metal bars in horror.
Moreover, this feeling was only exacerbated by the unpleasant sensation of being watched by someone. Even my apostle seemed to feel it now, as she kept turning her head frantically in search of a possible human hiding in the darkness of this place. Suddenly, the sound of liquid hitting the floor seemed much more frightening.
What was I to do in this situation? While I was still pondering this question, my sister didn't bother waiting to decide. She tried to push the bars with her whole body. But when that wasn't enough, she slammed into the bars. Unfortunately for her, the bars remained unperturbed, as if their resistance equaled their lightness.
My sister's only accomplishment had been to bruise her entire body and aggravate the wounds to her head. Nevertheless, she repeated her action, causing even more damage to her poor body, which had asked for nothing. Without waiting a second, she positioned herself to repeat her action again. And this, despite her wobbly arms and legs and the blurred vision evident from the damage her body had sustained.
I finally decided to put an end to her madness. To do so, I could think of only one solution. A smile appeared on my face at the thought of the roles being reversed. For once, it wasn't me who had to be reasoned with because I'd been emotionally vulnerable to the situation.
"My Apostle!!!"
I shouted so loudly that my sister reflexively covered her ears. She seemed to have some earache even after my words were over. At least her panic attack had stopped. Nevertheless, I couldn't help wondering about the origin of this sudden panic. So I asked the question, albeit awkwardly and with some embarrassment.
"For a moment, you didn't seem to be in your normal state, My Apostle. Would you like to talk about the cause of your sudden panic? I'll understand if you can't talk about it right now... So, could you tell me now if this sudden panic attack is likely to happen again shortly?"
My sister was silent for about twenty seconds, opening and closing her mouth several times. This unbearable moment seemed to last an eternity. But fortunately, even the silence was eventually broken as a resigned expression graced her face.
"My Goddess, I... Thank you for not forcing me to reveal my story immediately. I'll tell you a little when we return to the Refuge. That's why I'd like to modify the terms of our agreement. You will tell me superficially about the reason for your anxiety attack in the dungeon, and I will tell you about mine. Do you accept this modification, My Goddess?"
I remained pensive for a moment, wondering whether it would be better for me to know the origin of her panic or to grasp more precisely some of those past actions and expressions. After about twenty seconds, I finally opted for the first option. Knowing the source of her anguish would enable me to get closer to her.
That way, I could gain more trust from her so that she'd feel more comfortable answering my questions truthfully or even revealing more of her secrets to me later on. While working out my plan, I had forgotten that my apostle was waiting fearfully for an answer. So, I stopped thinking about the future of our relationship and decided to answer her.
At least, that was my wish. Suddenly, a distant trickling sound broke the ambient pseudo-calm. It would have stopped there if it had been just a slight auditory incongruity. Unfortunately, this noise quickly faded into the background as we felt a liquid at my sister's feet. Panic overtook our newly-acquired sense of calm.
However, This time, the feeling was positive, as it enabled my apostle to be reactive and avoid the worst. Indeed, no sooner had she turned her body in the opposite direction to where she'd gone the first time and taken a few steps to the side than an object brushed against her cheek. The force of the wind accompanying the object's flight was enough to destabilize her body.
We were utterly overwhelmed by the events that had just taken place. However, the environment is designed to give us some respite. As the sound of flow became more and more present, the height of the liquid increased at a bewildering rate, threatening to overwhelm my sister within the next minute. My sister had only one choice: to walk as fast as possible.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
However, we soon realized that these hopes were in vain. Even if my apostle had been able to run, I strongly doubted our ability to keep up with the distant torrent of water that seemed to be heading our way. Yes, I asserted that the liquid was water, for so far, it had caused no damage or side effects to my sister's body. In fact, this was the only positive aspect of the whole situation.
As the water was much faster than my sister, she had no choice but to close her mouth. Although breathing only served to reproduce a universal human function, the duct into which the air entered was not watertight. This meant that water could enter through her mouth, causing damage as it left the respiratory tract and reached the vital ducts.
I couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated at the mere thought of the stupid person who had devised the idea of designing a permeable duct. No, the concept of creating functions whose sole purpose was to mimic supposedly universal human characteristics was dubious at best and downright revolting at worst. However, I had no time for further grumbling.
Indeed, the endless surge of water lifted my sister's body. Fortunately, my apostle seemed to be floating, but for how long? My sister couldn't swim, and there was nothing to suggest that her body was lighter than water. But as if we hadn't had enough trouble already, the water had propelled us violently towards the wall... where the pipes snaked.
Although my sister had managed to turn around so her head didn't hit the pipes, her feet and legs walloped them. We let out a shrill cry, and our eyes began to water. Unfortunately, when she screamed, her mouth opened, and water entered her breathing passages. As if by reflex, she immediately expelled as much water as she could.
But it was already too late. Strange pains dotted my poor apostle's body. We felt as if our bodies were electrified. Our impression was soon confirmed when my sister's hands and feet convulsed. Although my sister immediately regained control of her body, her limbs malfunctioned.
For a moment, we wondered how we would walk around in such a state. But a head-on collision with my apostle's back brought us to reality. After all, we had more pressing concerns to deal with. If we lost ourselves in our thoughts again, we'd be in danger of dying for good. Or at least until the Void revived us.
As if to cast doubt on my last statement, numerous objects carried along by the current collided vigorously with Systalia's body. Worst of all, given the pain they inflicted, most of these objects had a rough appearance and sharp edges. It was as if these all sorts of objects had been designed to hurt anyone who brushed up against them.
It was as if all our current misfortunes had been consciously perpetrated in advance by malicious people... But that couldn't be true, could it? Who was I trying to convince? Of course, the setting and the course of events had already been set before we even woke up in this dungeon! Proof of this was the omnipresent feeling of being watched and scrutinized in minute detail.
As if to confirm this hypothesis, flashes in the corners of my sister's eyes drew our attention. It was them! My intuition firmly whispered that these tools were the dreaded spies. My apostle seemed to have reached the same conclusion as me as she tried to get the strange machines stuck to the wall. Nevertheless, the gesture was unsuccessful, as they remained impregnable, towering above us.
They seemed to be taunting us with their invulnerability, and for the first time, I wanted the water to break loose and rise faster. Even though I knew it was unfounded, I felt a real hatred for these surveillance tools. I could only think that this hostility stemmed from the remnants of memories of a bad experience in the distant past.
If that was the case, I was still determining whether I wanted to know about my past. No, I had to learn it! On second thought, I no longer wanted to... I'm too scared to find out! Contradictory thoughts raced through my head, trying to keep me away from the current situation. However, this time, I wouldn't let myself be fooled. Therefore, I intentionally decided to focus on my sister's physical suffering.
Tears welled up in my etheric eyes while I felt a tightness in my heart. Instinctively, I clenched my teeth while I felt as if I were sweating profusely and that the environment around me was both hot and cold. Of course, I knew this was absurd. After all, all these sensations were just hallucinations since I had no natural body in the etheric plane.
Nevertheless, the experience felt as accurate, if not more so, than Systalia's bodily sensations. This moment could have been a better example since I mainly felt pain. I wondered whether it was enviable or even desirable that experiences of suffering should appear natural to us.
On the other hand, despite the excruciating pain I was experiencing, my plan had succeeded. From now on, my mind never wandered from the present situation. So, for a brief moment, I was proud that I hadn't succumbed to temporary anguish. But all things must end, for the hovering of my apostle's body caught my full attention. Her face turned livid as she saw the ground some twenty meters below her.
My only reaction had been to smile ironically at the sudden worsening of our situation. If we hadn't risked death until now, we now had to pray that it would spare us. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to continue my reflection as an intolerable pain shot through my sister's body. In fact, the shock was so violent that no sound came out of her mouth.
Only the tears that spilled from her eyes and the blood that struggled to escape Systalia's body were the only liquids present in this place. What's more, her skin tore on impact. Fortunately, her body didn't shatter into a thousand pieces, allowing her to avoid an instant death that I wasn't sure could be repaired by the Void. We could thank the water for the continuation of our lives.
The corridor into which the torrent of water had flowed was brighter than before, thanks to the lanterns on the walls. This illumination allowed us to see a spiral staircase that began well above us... and ended well below us. Fortunately, the water had already entered this area a few seconds before we did, allowing it to reach the ground before us and break our fall.
However, even if we didn't die immediately, we knew our minutes were numbered. This time, I was sure the Void would heal my apostle once she fainted since death was no longer sudden. Even so, fainting in an unfamiliar place with no way of getting back to the Refuge and at the mercy of ill-intentioned humans was no cause for celebration – on the contrary...
At least I was currently in a peaceful state, which seemed to be shared by my sister since her face bore an expression of indifference. Of course, I doubted she was relaxed, just as I was. It's just that the pain in her body was at such a level that our minds were protecting us from it. So, in this state of dissociation, only the Void could be contemplated.
Our emotional state didn't even change when other objects flowed toward Systalia with the current and slashed her body. Even when the water rose desperately, unable to drain into different rooms, we hardly reacted. For that matter, could my sister move a little?
On the one hand, all the events since our exit from the dungeon had taken place within ten minutes. So, the movement control spell must still have been effective, even if it was surely losing power. On the other hand, this gradual weakening of my apostle's body was unimportant to us. Indeed, my sister's body was so sorry that movement was proving virtually impossible.
The skin was cut all over. The internal organs were too severely damaged by the water that had seeped in from the deep wounds. The blood necessary for the functioning of the few intact organs and muscles had already left my sister's body almost entirely. My apostle's legs and left arm had been completely crushed at some unknown point. All in all, the situation wasn't great.
The worst part was knowing that we would live despite everything. It may sound absurd to you, but at that moment, I was questioning my fear of death. Indeed, what differentiated this future temporary death from the others was not the cruelty of the events, each of these experiences being cruel in its own way. No, it was the weariness of this repetition, which seemed inexorable and endless.
On several occasions, I had already expressed my dismay and exasperation at the tragic outcome of some of our confrontations, whether with humans or Nature. I didn't even dare to count the number of times we would have died if we hadn't had the Void to save us.
Although I readily admitted that I was partly to blame for these fatal situations due to my often lackadaisical choices, I had to recognize that we'd been unlucky in our encounters with other people. Moreover, I couldn't externalize my despondency or anger toward the World. At least, I'd firmly believed so.
Even if it was just a meaningless gesture with no consequences for this World, that didn't stop me from seeing it through. I watched the strange, faintly flashing object move closer to me. In fact, it was me who was approaching it, thanks to the water that was constantly accumulating in the corridor. Moreover, thanks to Systalia's weight and posture, her body wasn't sinking.
Thus, the surveillance tool would soon be within our grasp, ready to be seized by my apostle's remaining hand. Yes, this abominable tool was finally right beside us! We had to act because the water was rising steadily, so much that we'd overtake the spy tool in barely half a minute. After conferring with my sister, she reached out with her remaining strength.
Systalia's hand was in contact with a long rectangular rod, while in front of it was a box with a sort of glass part on the front. But yes... It's... Suddenly, I remembered the name of this object: a camera. It was used to monitor a person from a distance. In my memory, they looked almost indestructible, but that wasn't the case with this one.
All the more so, my intuition told me that this camera posed no real threat to me compared to the one that appeared in my mind. Indeed, the camera I vaguely remembered seemed to come from a much more advanced magical technology, although I didn't know why I was so convinced. In any case, I was confident that the camera's handle could be destroyed, even with my sister's laughable physical strength.
I was sure my apostle could achieve this last feat before losing consciousness for good. What's more, like me, she seemed to want to let off steam on an object. So, after a last breath, she pulled the handle with all her might. So much so that her right hand and arm muscles threatened to cease functioning.
However, it wasn't this little obstacle that would stop my sister. Her body would soon be healed by the Void, after all. So, despite the pain and tears, she continued pulling on that odious camera's handle. In fact, the camera had moved slightly, a sign that our apostle's effort had been fruitful. A broad smile appeared on her face. She continued her gesture again and again and again and again and again... until...
The half-submerged camera gave way to the depths of the vast expanse of calm water. Indeed, the continual water pouring into the immense circular corridor had virtually stopped. Only the occasional disturbance interrupted the calm that reigned on the surface of the mini-lake.
Objects had stopped colliding with us, causing no further damage to Systalia's body. Of course, despite this, her body was still gradually draining of blood, so that her vision was slowly becoming blurred as her eyes closed. The only way out was for us to pass out in the middle of a body of water, with only various sharp objects for companions.
Reflecting on it from that point of view, it is one of the best end landscapes I've ever witnessed. In fact, I was rather pleased with the ending. At least no unpleasant sensations were coming from the surroundings, and the pain had finally disappeared with time. Even if my apostle wanted to extract herself from the water, she couldn't. She didn't have the strength. She seemed to need more strength.
It was only natural, after all. Although I hadn't counted the minutes, I was reasonably sure that the fifteen-minute time limit had already been exceeded a few minutes ago. The spell must, therefore, have worn off completely, preventing my apostle from being able to move her body. In any case, the muscles in her body had all but collapsed, except for those in her face.
The muscles in my sister's right hand and arm had also failed when she tore most of the camera handle from the wall. On the other hand, taking it out on the camera had curiously not given us any positive feelings. Actually, for Systalia, I needed clarification on this assertion. But for me, without too much difficulty, my weariness hadn't disappeared.
I had to face the obvious: my feelings wouldn't just go away if I didn't confront what had caused them in the first place. Unfortunately, this meant I had no way of calming these emotions. After all, I wasn't in a position to fight the World itself so as not to suffer anymore or become strong enough not to endure any more deadly situations.
Once again, I reiterated my hatred for my chronic impotence. That's how I finally lost consciousness... At least if it hadn't been for one last disturbing event. An intimidating figure towering over us from a staircase above appeared in my sister's field of vision.
Even though I only had access to a blurred image, I was convinced it was an Academician. In fact, my intuition told me he must be part of the organization. No sooner had I thought this than I heard him utter incomprehensible words.
"It's a pity my sister isn't currently in a position to translate these words.", was my last thought before my surroundings went completely black.
And so the lovely day continued. Hopefully, it will improve because when I wake up, I'll finally meet some humans...
After all, I couldn't possibly suffer any worse abuse from Academicians than I did then, could I?