Chapter 288: A Charm
Floria visited her Master’s secret hideout, her footsteps echoing in the dimly lit chamber. Her gaze softened as she approached the secluded area where her real physical body was being kept—preserved and untouched, just as Merlot had promised.
She released a deep sigh, her eyes drifting toward the magical bottle that contained Floria’s soul. Inside, her essence was slowly weakening, held captive until she could manage the transfer to yet another lotus flower, just as she had done with the other souls whose bodies she had taken over in the past.
"It’s exhausting," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
She had agreed to Merlot’s soul-swapping scheme in exchange for maintaining her existence. And though she had played her role dutifully, guilt gnawed at her conscience. She pitied the souls of the bodies she had overtaken. The least she could do was ensure their souls didn’t wander the world as tormented spirits, lost and corrupted.
Standing over the lotus flower, Floria steeled herself. "It’s time," she hummed quietly, setting the stage for the ritual. Her fingers moved with practiced precision, preparing the magical components to transfer Floria’s soul into the waiting flower.
"You’re ready now," she whispered, beginning the incantation that would seal the transfer, hoping that, in some small way, this would offer a semblance of peace to the souls whose lives she had altered.
She took a deep breath and began the incantation. As her words echoed through the chamber, the air grew thick with magic. The lotus flower before her began to glow, its petals shimmering with a faint, ethereal light. Slowly, she extended her hand toward the magical bottle where Floria’s soul was stored.
The bottle vibrated in her grasp, and with a soft pop, the stopper flew open. A wisp of silvery light emerged, swirling in the air like a delicate thread of mist. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she guided the soul toward the lotus flower. The flower’s glow intensified, pulsing in rhythm with the soft chanting that filled the room.
The wisp of light hesitated for a moment, then, as if drawn by an invisible force, it drifted toward the lotus. With a final word of command, the soul fully entered the flower, which responded by closing its petals gently around it. The soft glow faded, leaving the lotus still and serene.