The clear night sky seems to be telling me that it was time to prepare myself for the impending pain that I will feel soon.

I gulped a lump that was on my throat and wet my dry lips. It seems that I can't avoid pain even in this life.

​​

The moon's light slowly approached the array that was painted on the ground. Looking at it closely, the surrounding area seems to be quiet that not even a single chirp of the night owls can be heard.

Nervousness and anxiety came to me. Will I be able to endure the pain? Or will I suffer before I can remember everything?

I'm a coward. I knew that!

That's the reason why I escape my sealed fate with every struggle that I can come up and overcome.

Then, the light hit the bloody circle and I felt a sting in my body.

"You need to focus, Evelyn! This is only the start!" Cassandra said.

The two were watching from afar while a barrier appeared out of nowhere and trapping me inside the enchantment circle.

"What is this?" I panicked.

"The enchantment will not vanish until you can remember everything and the moonlit is still hitting the array."

"Wait! You're telling me that I will stay up here until the sun hasn't come?"

"Yes…"

"Sh*t… you should have said that before!"

While I was busy complaining to Cassandra, the moon light hit the center of the circle enchantment where I was and heard an unfamiliar sound.

*creak!

I heard a metal door opening and a chain locked being unchained.

*klang! *klang! *klang!

'What's this?' I thought as I looked at Cassandra and Gil, who were looking at me with those worried eyes.

'They didn't hear it?'

Before I could open my mouth to ask them. A million prickling pain felt without a moment's notice.

"Agghh!!"

A sudden scream followed by my bewilderment. It was me.

It was because the sudden pain barged into me without warning that I felt that someone just hit my head and I can't fight back and only accept the one-sided abuse!

'Sh*t! What the hell! This hurts too much'

Gritting my teeth was all I could do while my hands grip my head. It wasn't exaggerated when Cassandra said that it will hurt like hell!

Because right now the pain was enough for me to lose my consciousness and give up.

"Get a grip, Evelyn! This is just the start!" Cassandra warned.

'The start?' the words echoed to my head.

If this was only the start, how long do I need to endure? Can I still make it?

But the pain was only one of the few things that I need to manage and endure. Because I need to focus and watch the memories that were accompanied by it.

'How can I focus… with this pain…!'

Is this worth it?

"Agghh!!" Another scream came from my mouth.

***

Before they set to chant the spell, everyone was in the living room and Cassandra was explaining about the aftermath if anything happened in the middle of retrieving her memories.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Gil asked Cassandra. His eyes were shaken.

"We can only pray that she can pass this without harm." Cassandra said as she bit her nails but stopped when she saw me watching her anxious actions.

"Guys, I'm alright." I said.

"What do you mean? This is too dangerous, Adelyn!" Gil asked. (*Adelyn is Evelyn)

"She's right, Adelyn! You need to seriously consider this. I know that your strength has come back with your mana cap being sealed and as good as brand new. But still, it's just a few hours ago that your mana was still leaking." Cassandra explained.

I know that Cassandra was only worried about me, but I need to know the whole truth about what happened. And if I want to accept the life that I have here and not think of this world as a world of fiction, then I need to cure myself.

Being a cursed child, the life I will lead would bring me endless pain and loneliness even though I don't know what I will encounter. But the name implied as a cursed child felt ominous.

"But you said we need the full moon's light for this to work. If I let this be, the next full moon will be in three months' time. That's too long. I've waited enough Cassandra." I said.

The two seemed to be unsatisfied with my body's current condition.

"What consequence would there be, if Adelyn gave up in the middle of it?" Gil asked, concerned, pasted on his beautiful, handsome face.

'I still can't get used to Gil talking to me face to face.' I thought before I turned my head to Cassandra.

"You're a thousand spirit, you know the consequence of using taboo magic to a taboo spell that was casted to her."

"Anyway, the spell that is needed to unveil your memories is a double edge sword. If you can't endure this then…" Cassandra stops explaining and only watches our reaction.

Gil only bit his lips and sealed it. He knows the consequences and I also know it.

"I'll die…" I mumbled.

"Yes" Cassandra answered with a grim expression.

"Whoever casted and sealed your memories, there must be something in it, a secret I presumed? And it must be pretty big that he/she gambled your life even though killing you is much efficient than getting it sealed." Cassandra explained.

"Whatever it might be, the caster risked this chance and let you live…" she continued.

"Let me live?" I mumbled.

"What we can do is to have faith in Adelyn…" Cassandra said.

Gil clicked his tongue but wished to the bottom of his heart to let this be safe for her contracted master to live. Now, they will wait for the sun to show up soon, so that her contracted master, Evelyn can be at ease.

***

Back to present…

I don't know how many hours have went by the only thing I could tell was the intensity of the torture I'm feeling in my head and my whole body. It felt like I was being split in half…

The pain was too much even for me who have been in a lot of battles and experienced excruciating pain. Then, like a movie, flashes of memories came like a flood and overwhelmed me.

The prickling pain intensified and holding on to the last strip of my consciousness was taking a toll on my body.

'I would die at this rate! No! I still need to avenge… mother!'

Another good reason was found when I helplessly tried to search for a desperate rope to hold on.

***

*huff! *huff!

The sun finally appeared, and I was covered with my own sweat while I gasped for air.

I slumped at the enchantment circle where ancient letters were carved in the ground. The sticky, wet, red blood that was combined by mine and Cassandra was now dry and almost turned into charred.

Looking at the morning sky and the sound of the peaceful breeze makes my anxiety calm down.

Then I heard the running footsteps.

"Adelyn!!! Are you alright?" It was Gil. I can't see his face, but I know how worried he must have been.

I was literally screaming at the top of my lungs just a few hours ago.

Now that I calmed down and my head was relieved by the excruciating pain, I figured that letting myself succumb to my tired body would be acceptable.

So, seeing Gil lift my adult body without difficulty, I let myself depend on him.

***

Opening my eyes, the familiar ceiling came to view. The dust in the wood post and the smell of herbs linger in the air.

I sit right up. My throat was dry, and my body was heavy.

But the feeling of my aching dry throat was worse that I unconsciously reached for the glass of water that was placed beside the table near my bed.

*clak!

Without the strength in my arms to lift the cup, I dropped it and it made a loud sound.

Soon, Gil barged in. He ran to me like a red bull. I was afraid that he would nag me because of the broken cup so I explained myself while my two hands waived because of anxiety.

"Wait Gil, I have no strengths so, I unconsciously dropped…" I stopped my words,

What I felt was two arms wrapping me. I was startled and then I hear Gil's voice.

"Child, do you… recognize me, now?"

The anxiety in his voice when he tried to softly ask me about my lost memories made me smile.

"Yup~ How can I forget the strongest, kindest and the handsome spirit that I have. Right? Gilbert Drivas, the head of the wind spirit faction of the east, the protector of the Kingdom of Perspiru also known as the mighty Wind Guardian, Cierzo." I said.

"How are you pretty old man?" I continued. I smiled as I looked at his grey eyes.

Calling him by his pet name that I used to, give me that satisfying feeling – that I'm finally back.

"Brat! How can you make us wait this long?!" He complained.

I only gave a meaningful smile.