'Varian…'
The previous times they had done Synergy, the common phenomenon was the inner worlds of the three would collide.
Varian's would be the center while Sarah and Enigma's worlds would intersect with him. The intersection between Sarah and Enigma would be nearly non-existent, but they could feel each other.
Now, Sarah could see Enigma's inner world clearly. It was a mix of three colors. Yellow. Blue. Red.
At the center of that world was Enigma. But surrounding her were two vague outlines.
One was a slightly smaller Sia. The other was a slightly taller and more mature figure that Sarah couldn't recognize.
Enigma's world intersected with Varian's world and began reaching out for his consciousness.
Just like Sarah's.
'Varian…'
Sarah called out as she felt a connection beginning from her and searching for Varian.
The problem was Varian's world.
It was completely dark. Compared to the previous times when his world was brimming with all sorts of colors in the spectrum, it was now gloomy and dead.
'Is this the state of his soul?' Sarah recalled that Synergy was essentially a linkage of souls and the Inner worlds were just a reflection of the state of the soul.
And the inner world showing Varian soul's state was giving off an unwelcoming aura. And with each passing second, this darkness was slowly trying to engulf their worlds at the intersection.
"Varian!" Sarah called out.
It's a call that wasn't spoken physically or even psychically. It was at a much deeper level.
Visually, her call was like a colorful rope that was thrown into the dark world. It continued to shine for a few seconds before it was swallowed by the darkness.
'My calls aren't reaching him…' Sarah understood.
But she didn't stop.
"Varian!"
"Varian!"
"Varian!"
In the center of that darkness remained a man curled up. In contrast to the darkness around him, he was glowing brightly with all the colors in the spectrum.
But the light he gave off was swallowed by the darkness and to an outsider, everything was completely dark.
Occasionally, colorful ribbons entered this world and tried to approach him. But like quicksand, the darkness devoured them.
"Varian!"
Sarah didn't know how much time had passed. But her consciousness began to feel tired out.
This was a sign that the Synergy session was inching closer to end and should be wrapped up.
Sarah panicked.
Enigma's justification for trying Synergy before their death was—'Rebirth cannot happen without soul. Then problem with his memories also lies in his soul. We have to reach him.'
And it turned out to be true.
Since Varian's colorful inner world turned dark, the problem was certainly with his soul.
They've identified the problem!
If they let the Synergy end, they would be 'killed' by Varian in real life and lose their memories!
Then the three of them would be trapped here forever!
Sarah was unwilling to give up when they're on the verge of saving Varian and solving the problem.
"Enigma! Enigma! Can you hear me! Do you have any suggestions? We're almost there! We can't leave him like this!" Sarah yelled into the void.
A few moments later, a broken voice answered. "I-In…"
"In?"
"G-Go Ins-e…"
"Go inside…" Sarah realized Enigma's message.
She looked at the endless darkness in front of her and steeled herself.
"Yes, I will." Saying so, she put a step into the darkness.
Behind her, everything was colorful, bright and cheerful. In front of her, everything was dark, gloomy and desolate.
Sarah's consciousness took another step forward and fully stepped into the darkness.
At that moment, everything around her went fully dark.
There was no destination, no direction, no place.
It was a scary, empty darkness.
"Varian," Sarah moved.
With each step she took, the darkness slowly crept onto her. Like ink slowly staining a sculpture, it was slowly capturing her.
Sarah could feel it herself. With every passing moment, she was being connected to this darkness. And before long, this connection would render her incapable of exiting this world. And then this darkness would swallow her consciousness.
An eternity of darkness. It was scarier than death.
Sarah was terribly scared but she somehow managed to keep going.
She didn't know which direction she was heading to because the world was constantly twisting and moving. But she moved anyway.
Just like Varian, the light she emitted by her was also swallowed by the darkness around her and prevented anyone from finding her trace.
Since the moment she entered the Inner World, Sarah had walked close to Varian exactly three times.
But all the three times, she was just outside the range where she could feel the light coming from him before it's devoured by the darkness.
As time passed, Sarah continued to move but her movements were sluggish. Her 'legs' were enveloped by the darkness. So were her arms.
Every step felt like swimming against the current. She was like a bee stuck in honey. Yet, she staggered forward.
But eventually, the darkness was taking hold of her, bit by bit. Sarah's abdomen went next, then was her chest. Slowly, her neck, her lips, nose.
"Varian!"
"Varian!"
Her eager but weak voice continued to travel the darkness, hoping to reach him. But the cruel darkness swallowed her voice just like it was swallowing her.
"Varian!"
Sarah's beautiful blonde hair was swallowed by the darkness. Then her forehead. Her delicate ears.
Finally, only her eyes were left.
In a world of darkness, only the light of those blue eyes seemed to remain. And the bright blue eyes continued to search.
"Varian!"
"Varian!"
Sarah's consciousness was on the verge of falling into an eternal sleep. If it's really devoured by the darkness here, her body would become a souless vessel. It was a fate worse than death.
Yet, Sarah didn't think about anything else. She knew it was dangerous. But she stepped into this dangerous world. And since then, she was thinking of only one thing.
"Varian!"
As the last trace of her consciousness, her eyes were about to swallowed by the darkness, Sarah saw a spark in the distance.
"Varian!"
She eagerly used the last bit of her strength and moved forward.
There she saw it.
A man curled up holding something in his bosom.
Since it's her consciousness, she could feel it clearly.
…Varian was hugging, no, he was protecting his memories.
"Varian!" Sarah called out in the most gentle voice she could muster.
Varian's eyelashes fluttered.
"Varian!"
"Varian!"
As her calls increased, Varian eyelids slowly moved.
The light he gave off increased by a million folds. The darkness could no longer swallow his light and in an instant, Varian's inner world lit up as if it was the eve of a festival.
In contrast to the depressing darkness, the inner world was now filled with beautiful colors.
Deep oceans, roaring skies, stunning forests. It was a thing of beauty. A living spectacle.
Sarah's body that was previously devoured by the darkness returned.
A few meters away from Varian was Enigma, who was kneeling on the ground and panting heavily. She was almost devoured by the darkness.
Thankfully, Sarah made it in time and saved everyone.
Sarah stepped forward and cupped Varian's cheeks. With a million emotions swirling in her eyes, she said once again. "Varian,"
