Chapter 123
Xia'er had a strong grip, and Aivina's handkerchief slipped from her fingers. She bit her lip and remained silent, watching Xia'er breathe heavily, her eyes filled with bloodshot intensity, before gradually calming down.
"Sorry... Is it night already? I only slept for a few hours..."
Once Xia'er regained her composure, she released Aivina's wrist and instinctively licked her dry lips.
The pressure Xia'er had been under lately was indeed overwhelming.
The relentless simulations and continuous events had left her both mentally and physically exhausted.
Last night's bloodletting had nearly become the last straw that broke her spirit.
She had a nightmare.
In her dream, she found herself lying in the hospital's morgue, watching a red-haired figure, clad in a hat, mask, and glasses, dissecting her body over and over again with a look of disdain.
Once the dissection was done, they would stitch her up, only to dissect her again, as if it would never end. The faint thrill of adrenaline from the blood loss and the pain of the knife felt all too real.
"It’s twelve o'clock, noon."
Aivina looked at Xia'er and replied, "You’ve been asleep for a whole day, Xia'er... Nia, could you get me a glass of water? Are you feeling hungry, Xia'er?"
"Did the invitation arrive?"
Xia'er turned to Aivina, not answering her earlier question.
"It did."
Aivina nodded, a hint of worry in her expression.
"Thank you."
The event hosted by the Dedun Manor would surely attract a large crowd. Blending in among them wouldn’t raise any suspicions, even if those cultists were all summoned; no one would notice anything amiss.
Even her presence there wouldn’t draw any attention.
She had to check the arrangement of the blood array... to prepare for the ritual...
Xia'er threw off the covers and slowly turned to get out of bed, but the moment her feet touched the carpet, a wave of weakness washed over her, and she collapsed.
Aivina reacted quickly, reaching out to support Xia'er under her arms and helping her back onto the bed.
Why... hasn’t my mind recovered much? Why is my body even weaker...?
She felt as if her body and spirit had reached some threshold, collapsing instantly after that terrifying, endless nightmare.
"Just sit tight for a moment, Xia'er. I’ll go wake up Adele."
Xia'er looked up to see Aivina hastily walking over to the curled-up, sleeping Adele, shaking her awake.
~~~~~
**Chapter 91: Re-entering Dedun Manor and the Frustration of Jidi.**
"Ah... Hmm... What’s going on? Is there an earthquake?!"
Adele, deep in sleep, suddenly felt a jolt. She flailed her arms forward, and when she grabbed Aivina's hand, Aivina pulled her to her feet.
Still dazed from being abruptly awakened, Adele instinctively tried to move forward but was held in place by Aivina.
After a few seconds, Adele's vision slowly focused, landing on Aivina.
"Good morning..."
Adele greeted weakly, showing no signs of morning grumpiness.
"Xia'er seems to be having some issues. Can you take a look?"
Aivina stepped aside, pointing to Xia'er, who was sitting by the bed, sipping water.
At that moment, Adele truly woke up, her gaze following Aivina's finger to see the pale-faced Xia'er not far away.
"What happened?"
Adele stepped forward but stumbled as her foot caught on the table leg. However, Aivina quickly supported her, guiding her to Xia'er.
Adele instinctively reached into her clothing, feeling around, but only touched her own soft skin through her nightgown.
"Aivina, could you get me my cloak?"
After Aivina fetched the cloak, Adele opened it to reveal an array of syringes and surgical kits hanging inside. She pulled out a stethoscope and began to examine Xia'er.
Adele's technique quickly became more adept, but after a round of checks with various tools, she frowned slightly.
"Strange..."
Adele murmured, "Your body... shows no abnormalities, but you can definitely feel pain, right, Xia'er?"
Xia'er nodded gently. She felt as if she had entered a strange state... like time was distorted.
Not only did she feel the pain of cuts and gunshot wounds, but she could also occasionally sense a burning pain coursing through her body.
After listening to Xia'er describe her pain, Adele slowly turned to Aivina.
At that moment, Aivina was also deep in thought as she looked at Xia'er, seemingly understanding something.
Adele stepped aside for Aivina, realizing this was beyond her ability to handle.
This was likely a case of mental pollution or stress-induced confusion, a common issue for many extraordinary individuals after experiencing severe psychological trauma.
As the "Listener," Aivina was researching the "psychologist" replication ritual, a path specifically designed to address such situations.
But why would an ordinary person like Xia'er exhibit such severe symptoms?
Adele made way for Aivina, who stood before Xia'er and softly said, "Xia'er, relax, close your eyes."
Xia'er slowly closed her eyes, trying her best to forget the pain in her body.
She caught a whiff of a familiar, youthful fragrance, and the next moment, she was gently enveloped in a warm embrace.
Above her, Aivina's soft singing filled the air.
It seemed to be a lullaby familiar to Ansu.
"Rock-a-bye, baby, in the treetop.
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock; when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle and all..."
The gentle melody repeated, and Xia'er felt herself falling endlessly into the darkness before her, yet her heart grew calmer, as if she had entered a realm of consciousness devoid of sensation.
In contrast to Xia'er’s tranquility, Aivina, holding her, felt her voice begin to tremble.
She attempted to touch and heal Xiaer's spirit, but the moment she connected with Xiaer's essence, a tidal wave of pain and despair surged into her mind, causing her voice to quaver.
In the darkness, Aivina saw no images, yet she could empathize with the feelings, as if Xiaer were crying out to her, sharing her suffering.
What could have happened to accumulate such immense negative emotions and energy?
Just as Aivina felt she might not be able to hold on any longer, she sensed a slight prickling in her arm, as if some medication was being injected into her veins.
Seconds later, Aivina's wavering spirit began to stabilize and invigorate, her voice gradually regaining balance.
She continued to hum the short lullaby until three minutes later, she slowly released her embrace.
As she opened her eyes, Aivina saw Adele beside her, holding a cotton swab to the injection site on her left arm. It seemed Adele had just administered a dose of medication.
At that moment, Xia'er also slowly opened her eyes, feeling an overwhelming brightness and clarity, as if her spirit had been cleansed. Those brief three minutes felt far more rejuvenating than an entire day of sleep.
Xia'er looked at Aivina in surprise. This was the second time she had witnessed Aivina using her abilities. She hadn’t expected that besides hypnotizing others, the "Listener" possessed an indescribable healing power—at least for Xia'er, the effect was remarkable.
"Xia'er..."
Aivina took a shallow breath, steadying her emotions before speaking, "I made your spirit temporarily forget the pain and fear... but right now, I can't heal your spirit."
"This kind of spiritual pain usually accumulates over years for extraordinary individuals. This is the first time I've encountered such a situation..."
Aivina felt a twinge of anxiety; aside from helping Nia stabilize her mind, she had never used this ability on anyone else.
But seeing Xia'er’s face gradually regain color reassured Aivina somewhat.
"Don't worry too much. As long as I’m here to help you heal your spirit regularly, things won’t worsen."
Perhaps to ease Xia'er’s worries, Aivina added.
With Aivina saying this, Adele raised her hand slightly, "I... can help you heal too."
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