Sunrise does not necessarily mean light; the sun is but a morning star. Only when we are truly awake is it the real dawn.
One moment Li Yue was bathed in light, and the next, it felt as if darkness had swallowed her whole. She found herself in a place of boundless shadow, drifting and bobbing—a place so strange, yet so familiar.
She looked down at the blood-colored depths of the abyss. She knew what lay there, yet she stubbornly chose to swim upward. Time seemed to lose its meaning. After an unknown duration of futile swimming, a girl appeared beside her, gliding through the void with a swaying waist.
A giant snake reared its head from the bottom of the abyss, reaching Li Yue in an instant. The girl stood atop the giant snake's head. She pulled back her hood, revealing a face identical to Li Yue's, though her aura was far colder.
“What are you running from? Are you running from yourself?” the snake-eyed girl asked, looking into Li Yue's eyes. There was no emotion in her gaze, not even the deathly stillness that had once resided in Li Yue's own eyes.
“Perhaps I am. I just do not want to return to those days of pain,” Li Yue murmured, her eyes darting elsewhere.
“I thought we had long since ceased to be ‘you’ and ‘I.’ It is not ‘us,’ but simply ‘me.’” The giant snake brought the snake-eyed girl right in front of Li Yue. They were extremely close, yet a sliver of distance remained between them.
“Is it because of ‘her’? Well, some things simply cannot be changed.” The snake-eyed girl smiled and slowly began to sink into the shadows.
“I will be waiting for you in the future... regardless, nothing can be changed.” A hint of sadness touched the snake-eyed girl's eyes as she slowly descended toward the bottom of the abyss, casting one last indifferent glance back.
“At the end of the road... we shall meet again. I also hope that you can reach the turning point.” The girl left behind these profound words before sinking back into the depths of Li Yue's heart. Li Yue knew deep down—this girl was her.
“Turning point?” Li Yue repeated the words. The darkness before her gradually faded. She forced her eyes open, only to feel her body moving, as if something were dragging her along.
“I am...” She tried to struggle, but found the embrace warm and powerful. Despite her best efforts, she only managed to swing her legs uselessly in the air.
“A princess carry. How does it feel, my little princess?” Clo's gentle and cheerful voice reached Li Yue's ears. The latter struggled harder, but found it completely ineffective.
“Why am I... in your arms?”
“Didn't you call out for me to save you? Well, here I am.” Clo smiled, walking slowly while holding Li Yue, seemingly enjoying the process. It was now slightly past dusk, and shadows of pedestrians appeared on the road. The sight of Clo carrying Li Yue—two exceptionally beautiful girls—immediately drew quite a few stares.
“Where is Professor Black?”
“I... spoke with him. We know each other. After all, we are... well... colleagues.” Clo shifted Li Yue slightly to make her more comfortable and to ease the weight on her own shoulders.
As for Mr. Black, he naturally knew Clo. One was a Great Mage specializing in Chants, while the other was a Calamity Warlock proficient in chantless casting. When Black was optimizing and testing suggestions for casting through Chants, he had sought out Clo.
In the teaching arrangements for the new term, Clo had recommended Mr. Black as the magic professor for the freshmen. On one hand, she had her own selfish reasons; on the other hand, Professor Black possessed half-Royal Court blood. Compared to some Royal Court professors who remained resistant and guarded, this young, open-minded professor was an excellent candidate.
With just a single look, Black had handed Li Yue over to Clo. He then went to deal with the student carrying the God's remains. Under the shocked gazes of everyone present, Clo had picked up the unconscious Li Yue and walked away quite openly.
The relationship between the two was self-evident.
“How are you feeling now?” Clo lightly bounced the half-awake Li Yue, looking at her hazy eyes. Her own gaze was as tender as rippling spring water.
“Dizzy... my body feels so cold... but my face is hot.”
“A normal reaction. Even after receiving Black's blessing, your wound hasn't fully healed. After being injured by an attack carrying a curse, the wound naturally became infected. That is why you have a bit of a fever.”
“I can actually get sick...”
“If you release the restrictions on your God's remains, all your pain and illness would vanish.” Clo swayed Li Yue's body. “What do you think?”
“I'd rather not. It is just an illness; I can endure it. Life must go on.” Li Yue's voice softened. Though it was faint, Clo could hear her clearly.
“And how do you plan to endure this curse?”
“I used to deal with being sick alone. I will just go to the Academy as usual. Since it was caused by a curse, it shouldn't be contagious. Everyone is a magic user, after all,” Li Yue said in a small voice.
“This is the curse of God's remains. It was caused by a piece of divine remains breaking through its shackles with monstrous hatred and pouring all its accumulated power into you.” Clo gave Li Yue another little shake, a motion that only made the girl feel sleepier.
“Then what should I do...”
“I will take care of you,” Clo said, her tone filled with affection and seriousness.
“My magic could have originally reverted your state to before you were injured. Unfortunately, after the injury, your God's remains seem to have fused even deeper... attempting a reversion might break the seal we haven't reinforced yet.”
“Don't... I am fine... I just need to lie down and rest... I can get through it without medicine...”
“Remember to take your medicine on time.” Clo thought for a moment. “I'll brew it myself. It has the effect of resisting diseases and curses.”
“By the way... whose God's remains were those?” Li Yue asked cautiously.
“Beelzebub's, I believe. The kind with a plague effect... probably the right arm?” Clo mused nonchalantly. “But his power can only manage to give you a fever at most.”
“I remember him... those hands were severed by me...”
“Don't think about those things anymore. If you are tired, sleep for a while.”
“Okay.” Li Yue nodded, glancing at the surrounding streetscape. “Why do these sights feel... both familiar and strange? Where are you taking me?”
“My home.” Clo smiled. “My home is quite large.”
“Put me down...”
“That is not going to happen. Just be a good girl and sleep.” Clo gently rocked Li Yue. After a brief, somewhat intense struggle, Li Yue seemed to deflate like a popped balloon. Lacking the strength to resist any longer, she reluctantly and obediently fell asleep in Clo's arms.
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