Chapter 19: The Incantation and the Incarnation

The young girl’s gasps, laced with sobs, reached Chloe’s ears. Though Chloe had been unexpectedly tackled, she felt no aversion. Instead, she allowed the girl to openly release her torrent of emotions upon her. Chloe gently patted the stranger’s back with one hand, while the other stroked her hair, a gesture she often made when her sister was upset. ‘The last time I comforted a girl like this was when my sister suffered a heartbreak… No, the most recent time must have been when Xia Ni received her diagnosis. But did she even cry then? Even Xia Ni herself couldn’t recall.’ That memory was growing increasingly faint, and Chloe feared that with the relentless march of time, Xia Ni’s very existence would be utterly erased, leaving her to wander this solitary world alone. She yearned to return home, to that modest apartment of a few dozen square meters, and live alongside her sister.

“Hey, you really ought to get up now,” Alice said, stepping forward with a sigh, attempting to gently pull the purple-haired girl away. Her strength, however, proved insufficient, prompting Chris Hino to quickly offer his assistance. With a concerted effort, they finally managed to pull Una to her feet. She was still racked with sobs, her eyes fixated on Chloe… or rather, on the bracelet adorning Chloe’s arm.

Chloe slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, her chest feeling as though it had been thoroughly flattened. “So, what exactly happened?” she inquired.

“That bracelet… it belongs to Lady Alena! It just spoke to me! Lady Alena is speaking to me!” the girl cried out, tears streaming down her face. She reached a trembling hand towards the bracelet, but Alice swiftly intercepted her.

“Calm yourself, Una. Alena is dead,” Alice stated, gripping Una’s hand with considerable force. Yet, Una seemed determined to wrench herself free.

Chris Hino’s brow furrowed, caught between a dilemma of whom to assist. He stood with his feet braced, his hand hovering over his sword’s sheath. “My lady, who are you?” he asked. “Would you be so kind as to explain why that bracelet is in your possession?”

Chloe, oblivious to the fact that she was the very epicenter of this escalating conflict, simply craved her midday meal—the lunch a vampire was entitled to. Sunlight streamed through the skylight, bathing her face in its warmth.

“My name is Chloe Raina, a name bestowed upon me by your Pope,” Chloe declared, tilting her head slightly to shield her eyes from half the sunlight. “But my true name is Xia Ni, and I am merely an ordinary office worker.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chris Hino drew his sword, pressing its cold blade against Chloe’s alabaster throat. Chloe felt a sudden, piercing pain; another millimeter, and her life would be forfeit.

“Forgive me, Lady Chloe, but I fail to comprehend your words. I implore you to provide a definitive answer, or I shall be forced to conclude that you are Lady Alena’s murderer, and I will execute you here and now.”

“Hey, are you out of your mind?” Alice cried out to Chris Hino, yet her attention was divided, as she struggled to restrain the red-eyed Una, leaving her no capacity to intervene for Chloe.

Chloe drew a deep breath, a subtle tremor running through her neck as the icy chill of the sword’s tip registered on her skin. ‘How was she to navigate this perilous situation? A fervent denial would surely only provoke their impatience, while silence would undoubtedly lead to a swift blade piercing her throat.’ ‘Damn it, Wuxu never mentioned where one goes after death. If only I could return home. While living as a beautiful young woman, a Lady among friends, was certainly comfortable, reuniting with my sister back home would always be my foremost desire.’ She widened her crimson eyes, observing Alice’s lips tremble ever so slightly, as if she were murmuring an incantation. It appeared she was preparing to unleash Elder Magic. ‘Wait, a spell!’

Abruptly, a string of incomprehensible incantations spilled from Chloe’s lips, uttered with such bewildering speed that discerning her individual syllables became an impossible task.

Alice was on the verge of completing her final incantation, but upon hearing Chloe’s unexpected chant, she immediately bit her tongue, abruptly halting her own spell. Her gaze fixed, she stared dumbfounded at Chloe.

“That spell is…”

Chris Hino, startled, dropped his sword to the ground. He clutched his head with both hands, crouching low, his eyes darting frantically in every direction, as if expecting some unseen assailant to strike. Yet, nothing occurred.

“That is Alena’s unique magic—the incantation for ‘Longinus’,” Alice explained, her voice tinged with confusion as she looked at Chloe. “But the spell is so arcane and difficult to master; only she should have known it.” She had no idea how Chloe could have learned it.

In truth, Chloe had only ever heard Alena recite that spell a single time, and even then, Alena had chanted it with breathtaking speed. Chloe had long since forgotten it. Yet, just moments ago, a distinct voice within her mind had guided her, syllable by syllable, through the incantation. Chloe vaguely recalled that this particular magic was capable of impaling two knights from head to toe. Yet, despite reciting the incantation flawlessly, word for word, no tangible effect manifested.

“Lady Alena!” Una exclaimed, seizing the moment of Alice’s distraction. She tore free from her grasp and surged towards Chloe once more. This time, however, she did not tackle Chloe to the ground; instead, she enveloped her in a fervent embrace.

“Lady Alena, I can feel your presence right beside me! You carry the very same aura as Lady Alena—no, you are Lady Alena’s incarnation!” Una cried, pressing herself against Chloe’s body with desperate fervor, her tears soaking Chloe’s garments.

Chloe’s face was a mask of utter bewilderment, yet she found herself unable to break free from Una’s grip. Una finally lifted her head, her eyes, once wild, now shone with the bright, clear tranquility of a mountain lake. She seemed to have shed her previous frenzy, becoming as docile as a kitten. Her tear-swollen eyes, rimmed with red, now resembled a striking eye makeup, enhancing their inherent beauty.

Her eyes blinked, a silent, earnest plea directed at Chloe.

“Do you… want me to pat your head?” Chloe inquired tentatively. Una nodded vigorously, her excitement palpable. ‘To think a simple head pat would be so effective here…’

Chloe extended her hand, gently caressing Una’s head. Una let out a series of contented murmurs, and in Chloe’s mind’s eye, she could almost see a tail wagging behind her.

From not far away, a crisp snap of fingers echoed. Immediately, Una slumped forward. Chloe quickly caught her, easing her gently onto a nearby bench.

Alice stood directly opposite, giving Chloe a knowing look. “It’s best to let her sleep for now,” she advised.

Chris Hino, utterly dumbfounded, slowly rose to his feet, clearing his throat twice.

“So, Alexei, if you would be so kind, could you tell us precisely what has transpired?”

“Since matters have progressed to this point, there’s no longer any reason to conceal the truth from you,” Alice responded. With another snap of her fingers, her disguise dissolved, causing Chris Hino’s eyes to widen into perfect, astonished circles.

“Where is my Alexei? Where has such a formidable Alexei gone?” Chris Hino exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the girl in the oversized clerical robe before him—though, to Chloe’s perception, she had always been dressed thus.

“As you can plainly see, this was merely my disguise,” Alice sighed. “Rest assured, I have no qualms about sharing a bed with a man.”

“But… but we even bathed together! I scrubbed your back!” Chris Hino cried, his entire worldview shattering around him. He crumpled to his knees, repeatedly banging his head against the floor in despair.

A faint blush crept across Alice’s cheeks as she swiftly diverted the conversation. “I am, in fact, a member of the Elder Council,” she revealed, “and I was also Alena’s collaborator.”

“As a man of honor, I have unknowingly defiled a young maiden’s innocence,” Chris Hino declared, his voice thick with self-recrimination. “To atone for this grave sin, I have resolved to take my own life.” He then picked up his sword, preparing to plunge it into his abdomen. ‘Would a true gentleman place a sword to someone’s throat without a moment’s hesitation?’ Chloe mused silently.

“Hey, pay attention when others are speaking!” Alice exclaimed, kicking Chris Hino’s sword away with a swift motion. The abrupt movement caused her loose clerical robe to slip, revealing her alabaster body beneath.

Alice hastily snapped her fingers, and it appeared her disguise was reinstated. Chris Hino nodded in satisfaction. “Please, continue to speak with me in Alexei’s form,” he requested.

“I thought as much,” Alice mumbled, her face flushed as she pulled her robes back into place. Chloe, meanwhile, covered her eyes, finding the sight utterly unbearable.

“So, who truly murdered Lady Alena?” Chris Hino pressed, his voice edged with urgency. The mere mention of Alena seemed to strip him of all reason.

“Allow me to answer that question,” Chloe interjected. “After all, Alena died right before my very eyes.”

“What?” Chris Hino exclaimed, utterly aghast.

Chloe meticulously recounted everything she had witnessed and heard to Chris Hino. When she described Alena performing mass for the two knights just before her demise, Chris Hino merely shook his head.

“She was truly foolish, to act in such a way even in the face of death.”

“And aren’t you just the same?” a faint voice drifted from the bench. Chloe instinctively glanced back, only to find Una had awakened!

“Is the hypnotic magic’s effect truly so fleeting?” Alice wondered, her brow furrowing.

“Old hag, your pathetic hypnotic magic barely lasted a moment; I was awake again in less than two minutes,” Una snapped, glaring fiercely at Alice. Upon hearing the disparaging epithet, Alice’s face visibly blanched.

The moment Una’s gaze fell upon Chloe, the harshness vanished from her face, replaced by a soft, almost playful expression. “Lady Alena,” she cooed, “is there something you require?”

Though Chloe couldn’t fathom why Una was so utterly convinced she was Alena, it was clear the girl was remarkably obedient to her.

“Nothing at all. Go back to sleep.”

“Yes~” Una responded, obediently lying back down. Meanwhile, Chris Hino’s jaw hung agape, utterly speechless.

“For such a wild one to be so compliant, the sun must truly be rising in the west.”

“In essence, the true culprits behind Alena’s murder are the conservative faction of the Elder Council and their lackeys. I had no involvement whatsoever,” Chloe stated.

“Naturally. They must be made to pay the ultimate price,” Chris Hino declared, a fierce fire burning in his eyes.

“I apologize for dousing your fervor with a dose of reality,” Alice interjected, “but a single hair from the Elder Council could easily spell your demise. Even setting aside the Elder Council itself, what are your plans regarding their henchmen?”

“I recall that a red field with a white cross is the household crest of Prince Cliff,” Chris Hino mused. “Are you implying that Prince Cliff is also embroiled in this murky affair?”

“Embroiled? He’s practically luxuriating in a hot spring bath of the murkiest waters,” Alice scoffed. “It was precisely by leveraging the conservative elders that he managed to depose his own granduncle.”

Chris Hino was left speechless, his mind racing to process this new information.

“It seems relying solely on the Church won’t be enough to defeat them,” Una remarked, having sat up again at some point. She took a few steps forward, naturally leaning her head onto Chloe’s shoulder.

“Then there’s only one answer left,” Alice said, spreading her hands and passing the conversational baton to Chloe.

“That we unite,” Chloe asserted.