Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 418: Blanking Out [2]
Previously on Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power...
Chapter 418 – Blanking Out [2]
Sora's entire being trembled violently. Her gut twisted into knots deep inside, while her veins tightened, sending her pulse racing at a perilous rate.
A sharp intake of breath escaped her as a ferocious migraine crashed against her head, much like a massive rock tumbling down.
Within Sora's thoughts, a sudden spark ignited, allowing her to grasp the jumbled messages pouring from the necklace.
Recollections from a timeline obliterated and erased by nearly everyone, save for a handful. Golden Voice bit down hard on her bottom lip, desperately fighting to block those recollections from forcing their way into her mind uninvited.
Her cheeks burned crimson. Droplets of perspiration slid along her forehead, her gaze locked intently on the necklace clutched tightly in her pale, gripped hand.
In an instant, Sora hurled the necklace aside, appearing like a pure young princess who had just encountered a repulsive arachnid.
The necklace soared through the air, producing a soft rustling breeze that murmured around the chamber. At last, it struck the wall with a sharp clack, before shattering faintly on the floor.
"What... what was that?" Sora whispered, her breath stuck in her chest. Her golden eyes wavered unsteadily, like a compass needle, fixed on the distant, scattered necklace.
To her, it felt as though she had stirred awake something utterly unknown.
Even after flinging the object away, Sora could still hear the voice reaching out to her if she concentrated intensely.
Yes.
That voice was truly attempting to communicate with her, as though it knew exactly who she was.
It felt odd. Or it should have felt odd, at any rate.
Because,
'Why... why does it seem so ordinary? Why do the voice, the inflection, and even the energy feel so recognizable to me?'
Confusion gripped Sora, her forehead creasing deeply. She started pondering when and where she might have encountered this voice before.
Meanwhile, the recollections she resisted taking in, sparked by the earlier event, were gradually breaking past her mental defenses.
As some of them started embedding themselves within her, Sora began to sense, or at least suspect, the identity of that individual.
Yet how could that be?
Her pulse throbbed in her throat.
'Did... Did Kaden know about this?' Sora wondered, her heartbeat gradually steadying to its usual rhythm.
'Yes.' Sora affirmed with a nod, her eyes filling with assurance as she clenched her hands tightly, 'Kaden must have known. If not, he wouldn't have handed over this necklace. Plus, he called it a gift himself.'
Sora's golden eyes sparkled suddenly, her frame jolting upright in a flash of insight, her ankle twisting awkwardly to one side from the abrupt motion.
She flinched and collapsed onto the floor again. Yet Sora barely noticed the ache, which had already mended, her thoughts consumed by her fresh comprehension.
'Yes, yes, yes.' Golden Voice murmured repeatedly, a strained grin spreading across her lovely features, 'Kaden mentioned it was a gift for my role as Empress! He knew! He knew I'd require guidance from a entity like Her!'
Her thoughts raced at full speed, striving wildly to unravel the chaos unfolding around her.
It appeared to finally click.
From the start of this bizarre occurrence, everything had come across as irregular and bewildering.
Still, as Sora's mind whirled anxiously over it, she started spotting hints that supported her emerging belief.
That every bit of this formed part of Kaden's scheme.
Which scheme? Sora remained clueless. But at minimum, it all stemmed from a positive intent.
With that realization, a wave of tranquility washed over her form and spirit, drawing a soft sigh of ease from her lips.
She raised her head, gazing at the fallen necklace with greater composure now.
"I trust him." Sora breathed softly, dropping into a crouched stance like a loyal hound and inching toward the necklace.
"He's never betrayed me, despite having every justification to." Sora went on, her tone strained, "So I believe this is no different. He has a purpose for this necklace, and I'll uncover it by having faith in him."
Reaching the necklace at last, Sora paused.
She swallowed hard, sweat still dripping steadily.
Even so, regardless of her strong faith in Kaden, it remained incredibly tough for her to lower her guards and converse with Her once she understood Her true nature.
Still, Golden Voice recognized that options had been stripped away from her ever since encountering Aster, The First Celestial.
'No.' Sora denied with a shake of her head, her expression gradually hardening into fury once more, 'I've never had a say since birth. My entire existence was shaped to fit a mold; shaped to become this empire's Empress.'
The sole pursuit she had chosen for herself was singing. And even that drew from the fragmented memories passed down from Lady Sora.
Yet she had faced no alternative but to turn against Kaden to reclaim the one element that truly belonged to her in a reality where all else was imposed.
For Sora now, this was far from straightforward. A deity entered the equation. And a well-known proverb echoed across both realms regarding such matters...
When a god intervenes, it only sparks the spread and growth of omens like crows.
The proverb's implication rang true. And Sora despised crows.
She remained ignorant of Kaden's exact strategy. But at this juncture in her journey, Sora would place her trust in Kaden above all others.
And perhaps... just perhaps...
'...You could be my escape from this Paradise turned Nightmare.'
Sora drew in a long breath, extended her trembling right hand slightly, and seized the necklace once again.
At once, the chaotic intent surged back, murmuring in her psyche like a sly seductress eager to drain her very essence.
'Sister?' The intent queried, its tone bewildered and hesitant, 'You aren't sister. But you are sister. Who are you? Where is my sister?'
Sora recoiled from the intent, sensing fragments of her own memories stirring awake, rousing like a dormant dragon long awaiting its cue.
It dawned on Sora then that she had never fully integrated all of Lady Sora's memories.
And now, they rushed in relentlessly, submerging her in an ocean of alien recollections.
Sora's eyes glazed over, her consciousness swamped by the abrupt torrent. She stumbled, then crumpled to her left.
Saliva trailed from her parted mouth.
'...K-Kaden... are... you certain?'
Sora Asterion pondered right before blacking out entirely.
In her grasp, the necklace shimmered brighter, emitting a radiant golden glow that pierced into Sora's forehead.
And within her inner realm, Golden Voice, taking on a ghostly form, observed as memories of the same soul from varied timelines collided in a frenzy.
Echoes layered over one another, scenes unfolded simultaneously, alongside clashing sentiments and perspectives on existence...
All battered against her like turbulent surges against a coastline.
Sora watched with widened eyes, questioning for the final time...
'Kaden... what... what must I do?'
...
Sora Asterion was utterly mistaken.
Kaden possessed no clue whatsoever about the consequences of his actions. His sole aim had been to offer a sincere present by crafting a necklace from his Seed of Prometheus.
He had pulled it off, indeed.
Ordinarily, no issues would arise if the receiver hadn't been Sora Asterion in particular.
After all, The Seed of Prometheus connected to Sora both indirectly and directly—in a manner unknown to Kaden—triggering the unfolding drama she now faced.
Fate proved to be quite the jester.
—End of Chapter 418—