In the underground room, a woman was lying on a bed, unconscious. Next to the woman, there was another woman, who was dressed in all black. However, Karyk's attention wasn't in any of the two.
Karyk was looking at the Spirit next to the Dark Robed woman. It was the Spirit of the God of Darkness. However, because he was dead and only in a Spirit Form, a lot of his strength was gone.
"Aren't you still alive as well? Your return is even more surprising than mine." The God of Darkness replied, his spirit condensing to reveal his real face.
Karyk didn't reply to the God of Darkness. He knew all the tricks this guy pulled to regain his body, even going to the point of scheming against Gabriel. But all failed.
For that, Karyk still didn't hold any grudge. Nothing bad had happened because of his schemes since they never actually worked.
"Shall I send you to the cycle of reincarnation?" Karyk asked the God of Darkness, before shifting his attention to Zena.
"You..." the God of Darkness frowned. "I helped your sister so much. Is that how you're going to repay me? You know I could've left her here and run alone, but I stayed behind despite all the risks. Shouldn't you... help me return instead?"
Karyk didn't reply right away. He stopped before his sister. For a moment, the entire world had zoned out for him.
The girl before him was his only family. Even though he now knew that she wasn't his blood relative or real sister, but that didn't change anything. She was still family. To see her in this condition, he felt heartbroken.
Karyk placed his hand over the forehead of the girl. He could see that her mind was completely fragmented. He could only imagine the immense pain Zena must have experienced when her mind was shattered. This thought fueled his anger, but he calmed himself.
Thinking about the past wasn't a solution at the moment. He had to think about the future.
His entire body was surrounded by his Divine Aura. He was going to heal her mind himself, or at least try to help her as much as he could. He wasn't sure if he could help her recover her memory or her previous personality, but that didn't matter at the moment.
All that mattered was to heal her mind so she didn't have to feel pain every second of her life.
While he started healing his sister, he also cast a barrier around him and his sister to make sure no one could interfere. It wasn't that he didn't trust people here, but he couldn't take any risks.
After preparation was complete, Karyk's consciousness entered the Mental Realm of Zena.
As he entered the ethereal realm, Karyk was met with a vast expanse of swirling colors and fragments of memories, all in complete destruction.
He navigated through this surreal landscape, searching for the fragments of his sister's true self that had been scattered and hidden away. To help his sister, he wanted to use one Core Fragment of her as a base. To select the core, he personally entered her consciousness.
As Karyk delved deeper into Zena's consciousness, he felt the weight of her pain and confusion. The swirling colors and shattered memories were like pieces of a puzzle that he needed to put back together.
With determination, he began gathering the fragments, slowly starting to form a coherent picture.
Amidst the chaos, he discovered a particularly vivid memory—a moment when Zena was a child, laughing and playing with him. To his surprise, that memory was still preserved in the distant corner of her consciousness, even as she returned to life previously.
For a moment, Karyk was in a daze, watching the memories that even he had monetarily forgotten. These were the happy days of his life where he didn't have to care about anything else. He could live as a Prince in the safety of the Palace, having a peaceful life.
Holding onto that memory as the core fragment, Karyk focused his energy on repairing the surrounding memories and emotions. He moved methodically, mending each broken piece with care and precision.
The landscape of Zena's consciousness began to shift. The colors became less turbulent, and the fragments of memories started aligning.
He saw glimpses of her past. Each memory held a piece of her identity, and Karyk was determined to bring them back together, as closely as possible.
Meanwhile, in the physical world, the God of Darkness watched Karyk's efforts with a mixture of frustration and concern. His ethereal form flickered, wavering as if affected by Karyk's actions.
He didn't interfere, knowing that it was useless. Karyk's barrier held strong, preventing any external influence. Moreover, even if he could interfere, he didn't want to. Karyk was someone who could bring him back to life. So until he returned to life, he wanted Karyk to have a good impression of him.
...
Back within Zena's consciousness, Karyk encountered a particularly stubborn fragment—a memory marked by pain and fear. It was a memory of the event that led to Zena's mind shattering.
Karyk hesitated, realizing that healing this memory would be crucial for Zena's recovery, no matter how painful it was for her. With resolve, he reached out to the memory, offering comfort and reassurance to the young Zena trapped within it.
Gradually, the memory began to change. The fear and pain subsided, replaced by a sense of safety and protection. As this memory transformed, a ripple effect spread through the surrounding fragments.
The shattered pieces started merging, forming a more complete and coherent representation of Zena's experiences.
After what felt like an eternity of effort, Karyk finally saw a transformation within Zena's consciousness. The swirling colors subsided, replaced by a serene and tranquil landscape.
Memories that were once fragmented and chaotic now flowed seamlessly into one another, creating a rich tapestry of her life.
Exhausted but satisfied, Karyk withdrew from Zena's mental realm and opened his eyes in the physical world.
