When Acceber fell unconscious, her soul was pulled into a different realm.
A mountain full of blue-tipped spider lilies. Light orbs floating, coming from beneath the ground to the atmosphere. The sea of stars was visible in the sky, and she could even see some planets far from where she stood.
Acceber decided to walk to reach the top of the mountain where the Stonehenge formations occurred. Sweat dripped from her forehead, but she could tell the temperature around her was cold, and the air seemed frozen even without visible snow.
'Where am I?'
She stopped in the middle of the stone formation and looked around. 'What is this place? How did I get here?'
Red and thorny vines suddenly appeared somewhere.
'What are those?'
These hungry thorns suddenly decided to attack her. Acceber hurriedly backed away, trying to be vigilant and defensive against the sharp vines. She ran and jumped a few times, trying to escape the clutch of the vines.
One wrong move, and she caught an injury. When blood dripped on the vines, they suddenly became excited as if gaining wisdom. They chased her harshly, and more wounds appeared on her body. 'I can't give up now! Not ever! Not that I was given a second chance to live!'
Her irises suddenly changed their color from blue to an almost purple shade. A purple-colored aura erupted and engulfed her body. Her hair also turned into a more silver hue. The vines were enraged when they attacked her together, knowing they couldn't get close to her at all.
The purple aura was so strong that it began to get out of control. Acceber was also shocked by this hidden potential within her body. The aura even transformed into thin blades, cutting the vines mercilessly until nothing was left.
Acceber thought that was the end of her trouble, but she witnessed a more terrifying scene. She saw how the blades condensed and switched into an identical vine. It latched on to the almost dying plant and absorbed its vitality completely.
The surroundings became silent again.
"You're still too weak to merge with me." A melodic voice greeted Acceber from behind.
Acceber quickly turned around and searched for the person. There, she saw a woman identical to her face. The woman was smiling as she stared at her with a teacup in her hand.
'How did she appear here? Was she watching the fight between me and those vines? Why was I not even able to notice her presence all this time?' Acceber whispered with doubt when she saw that familiar face. "Nicoletta?"
"We finally had the chance to meet each other, Acceber. I know you must be wondering why you're here. Your eyes reflected your thirst to find the answers you're searching for since you found out that I am not your twin but a fragmented soul."
"Is that why I gained some of your memories when I possessed your body?"
"Come and sit with me for an afternoon tea."
Acceber did not hesitate to accompany Nicoletta. 'It wasn't even afternoon right now. I also think the weather here doesn't change or shift!'
"Let me tell you about myself before anything else. Here, drink the tea I made."
"Thanks."
"I am Nicoletta Yin, an assassin from the legendary Purple Temple, the largest assassin guild on Earth. I was also just like you, living my life like nothing else mattered. I used to be an orphan, but I never thought I'd met you by chance?"
"Meet me through chances? When? I don't remember seeing you in this life."
"In this life? Well, that's right! I never saw you in this life, but I recognized you in my past life."
"Wait! You also experienced the apocalypse?" Acceber's face was full of disbelief. She never imagined that someone would have a rebirth similar to her experience.
Nicoletta chuckled and said, "I did experience the same thing. In the last life, my face was disfigured as I took over the Tiger Base of the South Sea. A good friend told me she saw a picture of me in the memorial hall, to a place far East. I was surprised, and I found it ridiculous for people to commemorate my death when I was still alive. So I checked it out because of curiosity."
"It's odd for someone to make a memorial for me. I mean, my parents were dead, and evil cultivators controlled my brother's body, so it's impossible!" There was a sad smile on Acceber's face, coupled with her semi-teary-eyed eyes.
"I sailed three oceans to get to you. I found out from the mouth of people maintaining the cleanliness of the tomb that it was your brother who did his best to send you to the light. People even said he was too late to save you from an accident and that he atoned for his sins by killing everyone related to your calamity. The story touched me, and since I look like you, I pretended to be you to get information from him."
"What happened when you met my brother?"
"He is a traveler to other planes and a very strong individual. He could also tell who you are and who I am at a glance. He had the power to read fates, but it was too late for him to return and save you from unjust death. But one thing is for sure. He tried his best to avenge your death. It was also the first time I saw that evil cultivators truly exist in this world."
"Did those evil cultivators harm me and my brother?"
Nicoletta sighed. "They did! They caused you and the whole family to perish. Without you as the bearer to control darkness, no one could stop them from destroying Earth and opening the portal of Agartha. Without your brother, no one can protect you and make the ancient families prepare for war. You are the foundation of the variables that will disrupt their plans, so you need to be eliminated first!"
"Does our merging impact the prophecy?"
"It does! Our merging will signal the coming of the war. Our merging will also help you get ready to fight and control dark powers!"
"Did you also die in the last life?"
"No, I was captured after the war."
Acceber gasped in surprise.
Nicoletta chuckled and said, "But it gave me the chance to turn back time and bring you back to life."