Recovering Memories

Seeing Aila lower her head in silence, Midir looked back up at Carlos and spoke with determination.

Carlos shook his head gently, his eyes shimmering with the light of understanding.

“I understand your desire, but haste makes waste. Recovering your memory requires a gradual process; a forced infusion would only bring you unbearable pain.”

“Then what should I do?” Hearing this, Midir couldn't help but feel anxious. Having recalled a part of his past, he was now desperate to cram all his memories back into his mind.

Carlos paused for a moment before immediately continuing.

“I anticipated this outcome long ago, so I will use a slightly slower process for you to accept them. Come, stand beside this pillar.”

At those words, Midir released Aila’s support and took several steps forward, coming to a stop before the blue crystal that had absorbed Starflame.

“I put my hands on it, right?” Midir seemed to understand instinctively what he needed to do as he reached the crystal, turning to Carlos for confirmation.

The sound of rustling pages filled the air as Carlos floated over, accompanied by the old book that formed his body. He nodded and gave a reminder.

“Yes. It will lead you through the corridor of time, taking you back through your past. However, this process will certainly take some time. I can't say exactly how long, so I suggest you say whatever needs to be said now, lest that girl waits too long.”

Midir turned his gaze tenderly toward Aila, seeing determination and support in her eyes.

“Go ahead and accept your past without worry. I’ll wait right here for you to finish.” Aila seemed to have come to terms with things as well, speaking with a smile.

Midir nodded without another word and placed both hands upon the surface of the crystal.

The moment he touched the crystal, the entire space seemed to boil. The flickers of light in the air were like moths to a flame, rapidly converging on him and soon submerging his figure within a sphere of golden light.

Simultaneously, the seemingly chaotic ground began to ripple slowly. With the sphere of light as the core, vortex-like patterns were gradually traced out, spinning as if connected to the power of another dimension.

Under the influence of this power, the sky-blue crystal began to slowly dissolve, releasing even denser ripples of energy.

Aila’s eyes widened as she watched the phenomenon unfold. She then asked the silent Carlos, “Um... Senior Carlos? Is there anything I can do now?”

To her surprise, Carlos’s expression suddenly tightened, his brow furrowing as if he had remembered something important. He slapped his forehead and shouted, “Ah! I actually forgot!”

“Forgot what? Did something happen to Midir?” This gave Aila quite a fright, and her face turned pale instantly.

Seeing her reaction, Carlos quickly waved his hands to explain.

“Oh, no, no. I forgot to remind you that once the ritual begins, this space will be completely sealed until it is complete. I can’t accurately predict how long this process will take. If Midir’s memory recovery takes several months, you might face a shortage of supplies.”

As he spoke, he lightly tapped his non-existent head made of light, a look of apology on his face.

Hearing this news, Aila’s face couldn't help but twitch. For convenience, she had entrusted all her luggage to Midir, and all her daily supplies were stored in his storage space. Aside from the equipment at her waist and a few articles of clothing, she was essentially empty-handed.

“You’ve got to be kidding... Senior, don't scare me! All my things are in his storage space! He has plenty of supplies in there, but I can't get to them!” Aila said nervously.

“Hmm? So this fellow Little Star has food in his storage space? Then it’s simple!” Instead of worrying, Carlos breathed a sigh of relief and patted his incorporeal chest.

He circled the sphere of light once before suddenly stopping. Reaching out abruptly, his hand made of light plunged into a circular spatial rift in front of him.

Then, before Aila’s astonished eyes, Carlos pulled out a large pile of food and water from the space, casually placing them on the ground. At the same time, he grumbled to himself.

“Fortunately, I’ve been with him long enough that I remember the wavelength of his space quite clearly. But why does he keep so much junk in his storage space... is there a famine going on outside? And... why are there so many women’s clothes?”

Seeing the food on the ground, Aila’s anxiety instantly vanished. She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down, focusing her gaze on the sphere of light once more, silently praying for Midir to successfully recover his memories.

At that moment, Carlos floated gently to Aila’s side and spoke in a warm, suggestive tone.

“Little one, I won't stop you from doing whatever you want here, but I suggest you start cultivating. the ambient energy here is a huge boon for you. You might as well put in some effort during these days; perhaps you can give him a surprise when he wakes up.”

Hearing this, Aila’s mind gradually grew calm. She observed her surroundings carefully and found that, just as Carlos said, the surrounding energy was slowly converging toward the sphere of light where Midir was, but it was certainly not harmful.

She cast a grateful glance at Carlos, then closed her eyes and focused her mind, throwing herself completely into her cultivation.

As Aila closed her eyes to cultivate, the space returned to tranquility once more. Carlos surveyed the scene with satisfaction, then waved his glowing palm, setting up a small energy absorption formation beside Aila to help her absorb the surrounding energy more efficiently.

After completing all this, Carlos’s figure seemed to become even more ethereal. He clicked his tongue with a hint of helplessness and reluctance as his body gradually dissolved into countless motes of light, merging back into the ancient, simple book.

Losing Carlos’s support, the old book seemed to lose its vitality. It slowly descended to the ground, donning its unremarkable grey cover once more, lying there silently as it blended into the environment.

Midir remained completely unaware of everything happening within this enclosed space.

He was already deeply immersed in the vast ocean of memories, as if caught in an endless dream, slowly falling... falling...

Part One: Prologue - End