So for them to request that she takes a much simpler task—one that didn’t even require any fighting—made her highly suspicious. It was as if her body had been programmed into abuse for so long, it was now longing for it…
Relax, idiot. There’s no way this is going to be simple either.
Her gaze hovered over the image file titled ‘Relic.jpeg.’ Although it hadn’t been long since she had unlocked her abilities, Julie had grown to accept and trust in [Arachnid Wisdom]. This ability of hers that grants her heightened, almost monstrous instincts had never been wrong so far. It had saved her life more times than she could count.
So for it to be warning her so much every time her finger draws closer to the screen was truly alarming…
Ah, screw it. She gulped down her hesitation and opened the file. There was no point in delaying it further. She had no authority to refuse an order from a superior.
The holographic window before her expanded, displaying the heart dropping image in all its glory. Julie’s eyes flinched—she almost wanted to cover them with her hands but figured that would make things even more dangerous.
With her eyes widened in fear, she glanced around the image being displayed. What reflected in her eyes was a strange stone tablet of sorts, mired in countless blemishes and erosion. Still, one could easily notice the strange runes etched onto its surface. Runes she had never seen before.
At first, she expected her mind to explode, or for her soul to leave her body or for something else that’s extremely outlandish to happen. But, nothing did…
It was nothing more than a simple image…
Were my instincts wrong?... She frowned as she leaned back against the wall. She didn't know whether to feel thankful or disappointed.
Just when she was about to zoom in on the runes, a bright flash occurred that sent her mind into a frenzy. A trace of her consciousness was left remaining—the rest had vanished.
In just a few seconds, Julie went from feeling like a “whole” person to nothing but a fragment of her past self.
It was a bone-chilling feeling. As if her very essence had been siphoned. She wanted to scream, but forgot how to.
Her body fell to the floor—even basic balance was alien to her now. Her mind was muddled, and yet her vision remained clear… She could see and feel everything, but couldn’t describe what that feeling was like.
Suddenly, a clear and mesmerizing voice entered her mind, “At ease, child. This feeling won’t last for long…”
She wanted to respond—to ask and voice her complaints, but she no longer felt in control of her own body.
Then, the answer finally came to her.
Julie witnessed herself standing back up. However, it was not her that gave that command.
Her body… was being controlled by someon—by something…
“Truly fascinating… It has been 2,972 years since that fated day… The world has changed a lot since then, my lord…”
Julie, or the entity controlling her stretched its limbs, as if it had just awoken from a deep slumber.
“Now then, child… I must apologize for this…” Just as they said those words, a dark point manifested within Julie’s palm.
It rapidly expanded, stirring the air inside the coldened hotel room.
A miniature black hole manifested for a few seconds that sent a chill down Julie’s mind. It felt as if an entire world of souls was trapped within it.
What was worse, she felt as if her consciousness itself was slowly fading… The larger the black hole expanded, the more this feeling became real. Exhaustion set in quickly—in just a few more seconds, she would fully disappear from this world…
But just as it had appeared, the dark star shattered—Julie’s mind recovered.
The entity sighed, “How unfortunate… Child, your anima is far too weak…”
Hearing this, something inside Julie snapped—she wanted to curse but had no way of doing it.
The entity nodded. “Yes, yes, I know. Don’t worry, I am not blaming you for this.”
Julie flinched—she realized what had happened. The entity read her mind.
The entity glanced around and walked toward the other side of the room to where the windows were. It unfurled them, drowning the once darkened room in light.
Even though Julie had covered those windows in her spirit webs, they simply had no effect on the entity in the slightest. For once, they felt like actual spider webs—ones you would swat away with a broom when cleaning a once abandoned room…
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Julie’s body glanced outside. The strange streets, the unfamiliar metallic boxes moving across them. The almost brazen clothing of the locals…
“So this is what almost three thousand years of time does to humanity… Remarkable…”
At that moment, a strange feeling of sadness entered Julie’s mind.
Shaking its head, ‘Julie’ went toward the bed and sat down gracefully. And with that, control returned to her once again.
Her mind which had been fragmented felt complete, as if the lost pieces had been reassembled. It was a strangely lucid feeling… One that felt satisfying yet terrifying.
Her breathing hitched—she almost forgot how to do so. “W-what happened to me!?”
She glanced around the room in panic, wondering if that strange entity was still there. But there was no one—the room had always only had one person, and that was her.
“Julie-Anne Kafka.” She remembered her name.
It all felt surreal, as if she had been stuck in a dream. But the memories of what had just happened were still there. Everything that had happened was real.
“I truly apologize for this, child.” The soothing voice made her flinch. Even now, her body was covered in cold sweat.
“However, you must accept the reality of the situation… From this moment on, my consciousness lives on within you. At least, a fragment of it…
“Also, how is my… English? Is that what they call this language? That cursed Tower of Babel truly ruined everything.” The voice was layered in disdain.
Hearing this, all Julie could do was stay silent. Although she knew what happened was real, a part of her still wanted to believe that it was all just an illusion. The voice’s return shattered her hopes.
“Who… Who are you?!”
Silence reigned supreme over the room.
The voice stirred within her mind, “I suppose I should answer that… That was indeed rude of me.
“You may call me Solomon, the Sorcerer King… Ah, but those children from that strange organization of yours… They refer to me as IRE S-8181… Could you elaborate on what that means?”
The words made sirens go off in Julie’s mind.
Another IRE?! And this time, rather than a mark, the IRE itself now exists within her…
What the fuck is wrong with my luck?!
He replied, “Watch your language, child.”
Julie flinched, “Sor—no wait! Why the hell should I listen to you?!”
“Because I am older? Ah wait, does the tradition of respecting your elderly not exist anymore? Truly, the effects of time are supreme…”
“No!” She slammed her hand against the bed. “Why are you still in my body?! Leave! Leave now!”
Even now, the emotions of having her body toyed with left a mark on her… Who knew that losing control of your own body could be this terrifying? This was not something she wished to repeat.
Solomon stayed silent for a moment, then sighed. “That… will be impossible.”
“Why?!” She grit her teeth.
“Because you are the only suitable vessel I can exist in now. There is nowhere else for me to go. Though, if you wish for me to die, that is a separate inquiry…”
It sounded as if He was completely fine with that prospect… It only made Julie more apprehensive toward Him. Still, such a conclusion suited her—if it ended up dying while leaving her body, then that was nothing more than an extra benefit.
Solomon followed, “However, if I die, you will die also.”
Julie smiled nervously. “Actually, nevermind! Stay as long as you want!~”
A faint chuckle was heard inside her mind. “Child, who knows what fate has in store for you—maybe my existence will be a boon rather than a curse.”
Julie stayed silent for a moment—contemplating her next question.
“If that’s the case… I have a request for you.”
“Don’t hesitate to ask.”
“There is a strange marking inside of me, right? Could you get rid of it?”
“Ah, you are speaking of this Fairy Ring marking…”
“Fairy… Ring?..” She frowned.
“Indeed,” His voice sounded certain. “It is an ancient marking. The workings of a god, no doubt. If not for its existence, I would not have been able to enter your body.”
“So you’re telling me this marking helped you?” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Yes,” He replied swiftly. “This marking—it creates a pseudo spatial domain within your Three Layers. No doubt, when the time comes, it will expand and create an entrance for an entity to descend upon this world… But also, because of its existence, I was able to imprint my consciousness inside of it. The space created by that marking is now my home.”
The description He gave only made her more afraid. “So what you’re telling me is, all this time, I have been carrying with me a ticking time bomb for some evil god’s descent?” Even while asking the question, it still seemed ridiculous.
“Not an evil god, but a god nevertheless.” He corrected. “But your worries are most likely unfounded. Because even if that marking were to activate, it won’t pose you any danger. It seems the being that placed that marking on you is benevolent.”
“I see…” It almost quelled her worries, until His next set of words set her fear ablaze.
“In fact, that god in question has been listening in on our conversation this entire time…”