Chapter 1962: Dream Spirits
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The paintings of the people she loved came to life, speaking directly to Elayne and startling her with their apparent intelligence and the shared memories they carried.
Elayne stood frozen in silence, incredulous as she listened to their genuine words.
"Come on now, is that how the Inheritor of Hephaestus’s Legacy should act?!" Ambil roared. "Stand up! You have so much left to do! We’re all counting on you."
"Planta! I’m so glad to see you again!" Acorn exclaimed happily, rushing forward to hug her. "Please be strong, okay? You have to be strong! Don’t give up! We’ve been through so much together, but we can only persevere side by side... that’s what you always told me!"
"Planta... I’ve missed you. I’m glad you’re okay," Nieve said softly. "Please, be strong. We must be strong in these times of darkness. Even when everything seems lost, we will always have one another. That is what you taught us, my liege."
"Even as darkness has overtaken everything, I know a spark of hope still waits to be found," Titania spoke with a calm, dignified smile. She drew Elayne into a warm embrace and kissed her forehead. "I am happy to see you well, my old friend. Please... be strong. For us. For everyone. The Forest of Beginnings awaits its queen, and we will defend it until your return."
"...! E-Eh?" Elayne recoiled in shock as they spoke with such vivid realism—words she had never commanded them to say. "What? Aren’t these... just paintings?"
"Elayneeeee!" Rita cried, sprinting toward her and pulling her into a tight hug. "You have to be strong, friend! You have to persevere! For all of us! Okay? You always give your best—do it again!"
"A-Ah... Rita...?" Elayne sobbed, hugging her back fiercely. "Ritaaaa...!"
"Well, looks like she’s still a crybaby, huh?" Jenny laughed warmly.
"It seems so," Lily added with a gentle smile.
"Girls...!" Elayne wept, pulling them close. "I miss you all so much!"
"We miss you too," Jenny said. "You have to be strong, Elayne. You have to find us."
"The darkness... it’s all I can see," Lily murmured. "But there is light as well. That light is you, friend. Keep moving forward, one step at a time. There’s no need to rush."
"E-Eh?" Elayne was stunned once more. "I..."
"Planta!"
"I’m so happy to see you again!"
Brisingra and her mother Mercedes ran to her, wrapping her in joyful embraces.
"We’re doing fine—persevering, working with everything we have, together!" Brisingra said brightly.
"So you must work hard too, Planta," Mercedes added. "You saved us all before like it was nothing. You’re not powerless to change this future. You can do this."
"You got this!"
"You know you can do it!"
"Elayne, we’re looking forward to seeing you again."
"Please never give up. We miss you."
"E-Everyone...?" Elayne whispered, overwhelmed by a flood of emotions.
Then, stepping forward from among them, a tall young man approached with a gentle smile.
"Elayne..."
"M-Mark?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief at seeing him so vividly in this dream, this fantasy woven by her paintings.
"Mark!"
Tears streaming down her face, Elayne ran to him and hugged him tightly. Mark wrapped his strong arms around her, smiling warmly as he held her close.
"Elayne... I’ve missed you so much."
"Me too! Mark! Mark, I love you! Mark!"
She cried against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart. Mark gently stroked her hair, kissed her forehead, and gave her the love she had longed for so desperately.
"I love you too," he said with a tender smile. "You have to persevere, Elayne. Move forward toward a better future. I know it’s hard. I know you were forced into this—we all were. But you must do your best."
"Yes... I know..." Elayne nodded as he wiped away her tears.
Then he leaned down and kissed her lips. Her heart fluttered wildly, and her energies surged outward in a vibrant explosion of color that spread all around them.
Everyone nearby suddenly gained a delicate thread of Spirit Dream Paint connecting them to Elayne. They looked surprised for a moment, then nodded in quiet acceptance.
Slowly, they began to fade, transforming into fluttering pink petals of light.
"I know," Elayne said, her voice firm with resolve. "I will do it—for all of you. And I won’t stop until I bring us back together!"
As the petals merged into her, Elayne’s clear brown skin transformed, blooming with glowing pink-and-gold petal and flower-like tattoos. They shimmered beautifully, linking her once more to everyone she had lost, everyone she loved—the people who made her world whole.
And at the end, as Mark slowly faded into petals and reached her heart, she felt it.
A new Cultivation Method was born from her grief, her sorrow, and her burning desire to bring them all back.
The spiritual paintings merged with her heart and skin, becoming raw power unlike anything she had ever felt.
They connected her to them, somehow.
As the power surged through her, she noticed one final figure she had yet to address: a woman of similar size with pale white skin and long white hair. Her eyes were green, stitches marked her skin in places, and one hand was formed of white bone.
The woman gazed at Elayne with sorrow in her eyes and hope in her heart. She stepped forward and took her hand.
"You are...!"
Elayne felt an instant, profound connection with this mysterious woman who resembled her so closely yet seemed so different. In that touch, she immediately understood where she was.
In the depths of the Netherworld.
"So it was true... a fragment of my true self exists beyond the confines of the Netherworld..."
"You’re...! A fragment? Wait...!"
The woman smiled gently. Strange dark plants and mushrooms grew around her body, forming an eerie yet beautiful dress.
"Please protect Elena, no matter what... I will find them. Leave it to me."
"I want to help you somehow...! Please!"
"Let’s help each other, then."
They held hands, their hearts and souls touching for the first time in years.
FLASH!
In that instant, both Elaynes learned the truth of what they had endured—and, more importantly, what had happened to them.
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