Chapter 181 – Between Routine and Secrets
Night slowly blanketed the world, bringing a false sense of peace that wrapped around the walls of the old castle in this unfamiliar land. Moonlight poured gently through the arched window, softly reflecting off the stone floor and thin curtains that swayed lightly with the breeze. In the midst of that stillness, Sylvia’s room remained steeped in a silence that was both soothing and haunting.
Sylvia lay on her large bed, wearing a thin black camisole that hugged the curves of her new body. The fabric was so delicate it seemed to meld with her skin cool yet now feeling more alive. The blanket only covered part of her legs, allowing her pale shoulders to be kissed by the moonlight drifting in from the side window.
Her gaze was empty, staring through the ceiling, which was adorned with faint black branch-like patterns an enchanted decoration that sometimes shifted with dreams or the chaos of the inhabitant’s mind. But tonight, the ceiling was still. As if it were waiting. Just like her.
Her breath was slow, barely audible. Sylvia couldn’t sleep. In her mind, thousands of thoughts swirled and collided, looping endlessly like a storm of deathly mist refusing to dissipate.
And just when she thought her mind might quiet down, a faint light suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.
Just like the night before.
"...You," Sylvia whispered, still lying down. Her voice was cold, flat.
The light formed the silhouette of a woman with long, translucent green hair. Her sharp eyes looked at Sylvia with concern and exhaustion. She was no mere spirit or dream she was the World Avatar, the oldest presence in the world they now inhabited.
"I don’t have much time tonight," said the avatar, her voice echoing like ripples across a dead lake. "The gods... they’re preparing something. I can’t see exactly what yet. But it’s... big."
Sylvia sighed and pushed herself into a half-sitting position. Her long hair slid behind her, some falling onto her chest, faintly visible through the camisole’s low neckline.
"You came just to tell me that?" she said flatly. "I finally got to enjoy one peaceful day without a war. You could’ve let me sleep."
The avatar looked at her deeply, then gave a small nod. "Sorry. But you need to be ready. I just wanted to remind you. Don’t let your guard down."