Chapter 866: Calyera's Final Dream
Chapter 866: Calyera's Final Dream
As the light illuminated what Lance and Talia could see, they realized they were no longer in the mana railcar traveling outside Brillada.
"Where are we?" Lance wondered.
After the intense light, he found himself in the ancient Demon King's castle of Nekaris, dating back tens of thousands of years.
Today seemed like a good day, as evidenced by the view outside the window.
The scenery of Nekaris retained its ancient charm, and under the clear sky, a pristine blue expanse greeted them through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Demon King's castle. On this spring day, the sunlight warmed Lance's body.
What caught his attention wasn't the familiar sight of the throne hall or the unprecedented commotion behind him.
It was the fact that he had never encountered this timeline before.
Judging by the clock engravings in the Demon King's palace, this should be a time after the fourth Shadow World.
Whether in the Shadow World or real history, there shouldn't be such a harmonious Nekaris, as if the Demon War with the Honing Empire or the Vampire uprising had never happened or had been resolved much earlier.
"..."
Lance looked around, perplexed by what he saw.
The only thing he could confirm was that he was standing beneath the magnificent dome of the throne hall in the Demon King's palace, surrounded by demonic-style decorations that bore witness to the passage of time. Silver-white and pale blue flowers adorned the walls and arches, weaving a dreamy corridor of illusions.
Lance felt lost in thought.
Yet, he couldn't control his throat to speak.
His body seemed beyond his command; he could only experience this dream.
"Are you ready?"
A gentle voice called out from behind him.
Lance turned abruptly.
The various images and colorful stained-glass windows on the palace walls, dozens of meters high, refracted the sunlight into countless particles that showered upon the pale blue petals.
A silver-haired woman stood there, wearing a dress she would never usually wear, holding a bouquet of pure white flowers.
Her skin was fair, and her long hair was a graceful silver. Her tresses danced in the wind.
The white veil was light and airy, and the skirt was made of multiple layers of thin fabric, with lace making the entire dress appear exceptionally soft and dreamy.
She stood behind Lance, waiting for him.
"..."
Lance stared at the figure in the wedding dress, and it was unmistakably Calyera.
For a moment, she also resembled Talia.
Lance was unsure if this was Calyera or Talia, and he wanted to ask, but he still couldn't control his body to influence the unfolding dream.
"That wasn't what I meant to say!"
A thought echoed in Lance's mind.
It was Talia's familiar voice.
"Tata, can't you control the dream or yourself in it?"
Lance immediately sent a mental inquiry to the silver-haired woman in the wedding dress.
"Yes," Talia replied telepathically, with a hint of inexplicable shyness.
She, too, didn't know why she had transformed into Calyera and was wearing clothes she'd never don before! Fortunately, their souls were connected, allowing them to communicate through thoughts without words.
"I understand now. We've fallen into Calyera's dream, and at this moment, we're probably experiencing the roles of the two main characters in her fantasy."
Lance quickly made a judgment based on his understanding of Calyera's techniques and the current situation.
This seemed to be a dream akin to falling into Sweet Town. They were both experiencing the dream from the first-person perspective but couldn't control Calyera's dream.
It was more like a fully immersive experience of Calyera's memory illusion.
Only then did Lance notice that the throne hall was filled with figures, and the seats were occupied by humans, demon comrades, and beast lords who should have died long ago in the Blood Moon Cataclysm.
"Then, what's the deal with this timeline?"
Talia, having grasped the nature of this dream, hurriedly asked Lance.
She was standing in the Demon King's palace during the era of the Blood Moon Cataclysm, and the ceremony was proceeding smoothly.
If this continued, she might end up marrying Lance.
"..."
Lance surveyed the bustling throne hall once more, analyzing the situation.
First, this couldn't be a real historical timeline because the dead couldn't come back to life.
It was more like a hypothetical timeline where Calyera survived.
Ranklos also didn't die in the Demon uprising and become the Black Sun Tyrant.
Thus, Ranklos and Calyera successfully ended the Vampire crisis and eventually came together.
"I recall that the most critical battle between the third and fourth Shadow Worlds was when the Vampires made a desperate assault on the Demon World. Although the Demon King's castle held, Calyera was gravely injured, and the eighth-tier Ranklos, even with his timely arrival, could only barely repel the third progenitor, Lashar. It was only later, when fighting the fifth or second progenitor, that he reached the ninth tier."
Lance had a rough idea of what this hypothetical timeline might be.
That battle was also the direct cause of Calyera's death. Besides Calyera, both Mist Knight Orion and Midnight Knight had perished, and Thunder Knight Gareth Nocturn had suffered severe injuries, forcing him to retire to the Demon World and unable to continue serving as a high-ranking demon general.
If Calyera had defeated Lashar then, or if Ranklos had managed to break through to the ninth tier and completely seal Lashar, many subsequent tragedies could have been avoided.
Perhaps, this is how they could reach the current timeline.
"So, do we have to experience the wedding in our dreams?"
Talia filtered the cause and effect of the dream, but before she could catch her breath, she became anxious again.
This immersive dream made her feel as if she were marrying Lance, even though she couldn't control her body. Most importantly, they were playing the roles of the main characters, experiencing the wedding in Calyera's Illusion.
The Fallen Sweet Town allowed one to see dreams that were destined to remain unfulfilled in reality. When Calyera wrote that letter, the illusion she saw through Sweet Town was probably the dream that Lance and Talia were now experiencing.
"Perhaps we've already entered this dream, and even though we know it's an illusion, we still can't leave. It seems that we have to finish watching it before we can return to our compartment on the Brillada train."
Lance was certain that this was the true ninth-tier mana, surpassing both him and Talia.
So, after triggering it, just like when they made the summoning card in the Flower Capital, they were trapped in Calyera's slumbering mana and couldn't wake up easily.
As they communicated through mind link, the Master of Ceremonies appeared on the high platform of the Throne Hall.
"Dear guests, welcome to the wedding of the Black Sun Knight and the Fallen King. Thank you for your patience, and our ceremony is about to begin."
Thunder Knight Gareth Noctis walked to the front of the high platform and spoke in a loud voice.
The former close friend of the Black Sun Knight and originally a trusted general of Calyera's faction, the steady Thunder Knight Gareth Noctis had become the Master of Ceremonies for this wedding.
In a while, the groom in a black tuxedo approached the bride.
Calyera's veil covered her long hair.
She held a bouquet of white hydrangeas, pure and flawless.
She looked at him with a gentle and calm smile, her eyes lowered.
Behind her, the light blue sky was adorned with clouds and flower petals.
The light blue flowers became even softer in the gentle breeze, exuding a delicate and captivating fragrance.
"Lance, what should we do? Are we really getting married?"
Talia, playing the role of Calyera, had a racing heart. She had never experienced something like this and couldn't even imagine it.
On the train, she had only briefly mentioned using marriage to repay her debt, but she never expected to experience the wedding process with Lance in Calyera's illusion so soon.
"Just consider it a dream, but the perspective has changed from third-person to first-person."
Lance responded through mind link, comforting Talia's anxious state.
"Wuu... Yeah."
Talia tried to calm her racing heart with deep breaths, but to no avail. Her body felt uncontrollable.
Only by gazing at the familiar figure not far away could she truly calm down.
Whenever she felt anxious, Lance would become especially composed, giving her a sense of reassurance.
It's just a dream, just a dream, but from a different perspective...
She kept telling herself this.
Talia's nervousness began to subside.
She took a deep breath, preparing for the most important moment.
She walked forward.
Finally, the two figures stood in the center, facing each other before the throne.
"Dear bride and groom, today is one of the most important days of your lives. From now on, you will no longer be ordinary friends or allies, but you will walk through life's journey as husband and wife. Marriage is a gift from the gods, a sacred covenant. It means loving each other, supporting each other, facing difficulties together, and being in harmony during peaceful times."
Gareth's voice was filled with blessings, and his tone rose,
"'Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.' Dear friends, I hope you will consider these words and cherish your experiences, using love to embrace each other."
Gareth spoke with sincerity.
His speech moved all the guests present.
The ceremony continued.
Soon, their friend, Mist Knight Orion, was invited to the stage as the best man and witness. He was about to deliver a congratulatory speech.
Mist Knight Orion, who had been waiting, straightened his tie nervously and took out a prepared speech. He cleared his throat.
"First of all, I want to thank you for giving me the honor of being your witness during this precious moment in your lives. We have been close friends for many years, and I have witnessed your entire journey together."
Orion looked at the Black Sun Knight and then turned his gaze to the Fallen King,
"You appreciate and support each other, and you grow together. As the Demon Opera says, 'Two hearts as one, a perfect match, destined by the heavens.' I firmly believe that you are fated to walk hand in hand."
He offered his blessings.
"Let's welcome our other respected witness, also a close friend of the couple and the maid of honor, to give her sincere blessings to this Demon couple..."
Gareth smoothly guided the ceremony.
Time flew by in the Nekaris Demon Palace.
Soon, the most solemn part of the ceremony was about to begin.
"Calyera, what do you think of the groom?"
Gareth, facing the bride, asked.
"He... always brings a smile to my face. He speaks with a tone that cares for all living beings, and he has a natural affinity with demons. Although he rarely smiles, at times, he can be more childlike and unexpectedly playful."
"Occasionally, I would boast about being the best principal in the world... I can't argue with that, he's exactly that kind of person."
"In any case, he is the kindest and most caring human I've ever met, and it is because of this that I see a wonderful world in his Sweet Town, the kind of world I want."
"So, as his best friend, I will continue to help him."
The Silver Witch's eyes sparkled, her voice sweet yet firm.
The guests stood up in unison, and applause surged towards the bride and groom like a tidal wave.
"Alright, it's time for the final moment."
Witness Thunder Knight Gareth Nocturn spoke, his voice filled with deep trust, and blessed them with his authority and gentleness:
"The path of marriage will not be smooth sailing, there will inevitably be conflicts and difficulties. But as long as you always love each other, and use patience and tolerance to resolve differences, your love will remain fresh. Let us bless them, wishing them a happy and lasting marriage, until eternity!"
Under the dome of the Demon King's Palace, where the sound reverberated, applause and cheers echoed again and again.
"Lance, can't you really break this illusion?"
Talia couldn't control herself and moved closer to Lance.
She felt both an itchy heart and a shyness that made her want to go crazy.
"If even you can't do it, I'm even less likely to escape."
Lance also felt a bit nervous.
Whether it was playing with Talia in an amusement park, feeding each other in a playful competition, or holding the big gray cat, he had never been this tense. Only at this moment did they seem overly solemn.
The reason he could always wake up quickly in Sweet Town was that he clearly recognized it as an illusion and wouldn't get lost in it.
But at this moment, they both knew it was an illusion, were fully aware, yet couldn't end it.
Talia's hand trembled slightly. In the throne hall of the Demon King's Palace, her fingertips touched Lance's, as if conveying a silent vow.
She looked at Lance, knowing it was an illusion, yet unable to resist.
To the gentle melody of a harp, their gazes inevitably met, and the next scene might just be the legendary vow of a kiss.
"No, Lance, you can't kiss me yet!"
Talia felt Lance's presence getting closer, and she struggled to turn her head away, but her body couldn't make such a drastic movement. She could only feel his heartbeat while screaming inside.
As she closed her eyes, preparing for that moment, her heart was beating so fast it felt uncontrollable.
Then, a thunderous sound woke them up.
The sky of Nekaris was now shrouded in gloomy rain.
The illusionary scene displayed digital shadows, and the dreamy church began to stutter and shake.
It flickered, sometimes turning into the afterimage of the previous second.
The bell rang again, but it didn't seem to be moving forward; instead, it was moving backward.
The sky began to collapse, and the shattered curtain took over the once-azure dawn, leaving only the purple lightning spreading like cracks.
Until, in the memory afterimage, they saw this illusory demonic script—
The lightning snaked across the sky, bringing you one step closer to the end.
The next second.
The two of them, like interdimensional ghostly spectators, were forced out of the illusion, only to see that this place had become the underground central chamber of the Infernal Corridor Academy.
It was a small, transparent room, as if enveloped by the starry sky of eternal night, with only sparse starlight providing enough brightness for them to see the scene before them.
As if this was the true space of Calyera's heart.
In the real space inside the central chamber, it was a world apart from the outside.
The hypnotic walls swallowed most of the light and echoes, and even the slightest breath was nowhere to be found.
Only the oppressive silence and the bottomless starry sky remained.
In the center of the room, several pillar-like anti-magic steel connected a semi-transparent barrier, and the demonic script on the steel columns flickered with a faint blue glow.
At the center of the anti-magic steel, a mirror-like mechanical magic device was bound by layers of magical chains.
It was like a mirror, yet it was shaped like a six-sided cube.
Each mirror surface distorted the space within, as if countless twisted souls were swirling, and multiple barriers flowed around the mirror, appearing and disappearing.
With just a glance.
One could determine that it was an extraordinary object—
The taboo magic device that defied the world's principles, the Teribius Mirror.
"..."
Calyera leaned against the six-sided magic cube, her face haggard and pale, with traces of her former grace still visible. Letters were scattered by her side, and she exhaled white mist.
Her silver-white hair fell loosely over her shoulders, her eyes half-open, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly, like a butterfly struggling to flap its wings as it neared death, waking up from the dream.
Her once-red lips had lost their color, but a faint smile still hung on the corners, as if savoring the end of this brief yet wonderful life.
Her slender fingers rested on the letters, the tips slightly curled.
Sending out these letters was her final task.
"Ranklos, I'm counting on you from now on."
Calyera let out a soft sigh, her silver-white eyes half-closed, carrying a hint of reluctance and apology.
Then she stood up, her body swaying, and walked towards the Hanging Mirror Corridor, disappearing into the prism.
(End of Chapter)
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