The Heart System Chapter 539

Dierella entered the room, dressed in an unusually relaxed manner. She sported a plain white t-shirt and hotpants, her wings fluttering idly behind her as though she couldn't muster the energy. She advanced deeper inside, pausing merely a few paces from me.

"That’s something only Mana does," she continued, her voice devoid of inflection.

Mana rolled her eyes with mild exasperation. "We are goddesses, Evan. You wouldn’t understand what we do for the greater good."

The words rubbed me the wrong way, yet I held back from challenging them. For the moment.

"You mentioned another subject," I remarked instead. "What became of him?"

Mana snapped her fingers sharply, as if the response was self-evident. "He forgot everything."

"What do you mean by forgot everything?"

"When I deem someone unworthy of my attention," she clarified while swirling her wine glass, "I reclaim it all. The system, the memories, my presence... everything. A total wipe."

I exhaled softly. "Damn."

Dierella approached nearer, positioning herself directly before me. "How did you arrive here?"

"I... figured it was a dream," I admitted.

"You’re no longer my subject," she countered, her eyes narrowing faintly. "The initial visit here, I chalked up to my influence. But this time..." Her gaze shifted to Mana. "It defies logic."

"Goddess of Dreams, Dierella." Mana let out a soft chuckle. "Struggling to rein in her abilities and now inviting stray subjects?"

"This has nothing to do with me." She insisted. "I’m certain. Since he’s not my subject any longer, I hold no sway over him."

Mana cocked her head, observing me intently. "Intriguing, right? Perhaps he can simply enter whenever he—"

Her words halted abruptly. A shift occurred.

Silence fell over the storm outside. Not fading slowly. But in an instant. Rain ceased. Thunder disappeared. It felt as if the world had been silenced with a single button.

Then it reached my ears.

A voice.

Feminine, echoing both far away and nearby simultaneously. It seemed like pleading, yet no words were discernible. Thousands of whispers layered over each other, murmuring together, too muddled to comprehend. The cacophony bore into my skull, piercing and relentless, like unyielding static.

I flinched, clutching my temple.

Mana rose suddenly, her glass tumbling from her grasp and crashing against the floor. She ignored the shards entirely. Her stare fixed on the window.

Dierella pivoted too, her stance growing rigid.

"What the..." she whispered.

I traced their line of sight. A presence lingered outside.

A silhouette hovered in the air past the window. A woman clutching an umbrella, perfectly still amid the absence of wind, rain, or any movement.

"Silk..." Mana breathed, her tone strained for once. "How?"

"How did she get here?" Dierella retreated a step, visibly rattled. "That’s impossible."

"Get him out now," Mana ordered sharply, her poise fracturing. "Immediately."

"I can’t," Dierella retorted. "I didn’t summon him!"

My pulse raced wildly, but an urge propelled me onward. Curiosity. Gut feeling. Without hesitation, I approached the window and flung it open. Chilly air surged inward, despite the vanished tempest. Only calm remained.

There she floated.

Silk.

Viewed closely, she appeared otherworldly. Graceful and statuesque, clad in a flowing white gown that glowed and undulated independently. A high slit exposed her flawless leg, her bare feet dangling just above the void.

Her raven hair tumbled in a silky torrent down to her knees, undisturbed by any breeze. Had she always appeared this way?

Her complexion was ghostly pale, excessively so, and her eyes...

Crimson.

Intensely crimson, radiating with silver pupils that flickered subtly. They conveyed exhaustion. Timeless weariness. As if burdened by endless sights.

Her gaze locked onto mine.

"Evan," she murmured gently.

Her voice sliced through the mental din, crisp and penetrating.

"Please... remember me."

I blinked in bewilderment. "What?"

"STOP IT!" Mana shrieked from behind. "GET HIM OUT!"

I spun around to demand answers, but Dierella’s palm met my forehead first.

Darkness engulfed me.

I jolted awake with a ragged gasp, my body lurching upright like emerging from drowning depths. Perspiration soaked my skin, shirt clinging wetly, breaths ragged in the hushed room.

Dawn’s glow seeped past the curtains. Jasmine was absent from the bed. She’d departed for work already.

"Holy fucking shit..." I grumbled, rubbing my face. "Silk... who the hell is she?"

Her visage lingered stubbornly. With each blink, she reappeared. Those eyes. That plea.

"Remember me," I echoed quietly.

I pushed my legs over the edge of the bed and rose to my feet, my frame still trembling faintly. The instant I swung open the bedroom door, Minne materialized, as though she'd been hovering right outside.

"Master?" she inquired, her tone brimming with worry.

She went rigid upon seeing me clearly. The sweat drenching me, my ragged breaths, the exhausted appearance like I'd just finished a grueling marathon.

"Are you okay?"

"I... yeah... water," I gasped out. "Can you get me some water?"

"O-of course!"

Staggering into the living room, I tried collapsing onto the couch but landed hard on the coffee table. I bent forward, elbows pressing into my thighs, head dangling low as I fought to even my breathing.

The vision refused to dissipate. Silk. Mana’s reaction. Dierella’s frenzy. What on earth was that?

Minne hurried back, laying a soft hand on my shoulder before tilting the glass to my lips. My hands quivered too fiercely to grip it, so she steadied it, permitting me to sip gradually.

The icy water brought slight relief. Once I drained it, I swiped my mouth and drew in a steadying breath, willing myself to relax.

"Thank you," I whispered.

She placed the glass down, her gaze locked on me. "What happened?"

"Just... a bad dream," I claimed, though I knew it rang false. "I’m fine."

"Are you sure, Master?"

I nodded at last, raising my head to meet her eyes. "Yeah. I’m good."

She wavered for a second, then offered a tiny nod. "Alright. If you need anything..."

"I will," I replied. "Thanks, Minne."

She lingered nearby a moment more, ensuring my well-being, before withdrawing.

I reclined a bit, releasing a long exhale. That surpassed any ordinary dream. And Silk... whoever she might be...

She knew me.

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