Calista was clearly unwilling to give up. She slowly raised a small rectangular white crystal, just the size of her palm, engraved with complex symbols.
What shocked Elric even more was that he could understand those symbols, despite them not belonging to any known language of the Eastern Lands Continent.
The crystal bore the inscription: "Blizzard Royal Family."
Elric felt a surge of astonishment, unable to explain why he could comprehend these ancient runes.
He had a vague memory, as if someone—a white-haired woman—had once taught him these symbols.
As soon as Calista raised the crystal, the blue-white psychic soul flickered, and its light dimmed momentarily.
Clearly, it recognized the crystal, and though the fluctuation in its emotions was subtle, it was noticeable.
The voice of the psychic soul echoed once more, now laced with deep weariness.
"Since the queen passed away, my heart left with her... You should go back."
Elric's heart tightened at those words.
"Queen? Blizzard Royal Family?"
Calista's gaze became heavy as she clenched the white crystal, seemingly suppressing a surge of emotion.
"Go quickly, before anyone comes.
I will conceal your presence," the blue-white psychic soul said again, its light flickering as if warning them of the impending danger.
Calista gritted her teeth, clearly torn with frustration and indecision.
She stared at the psychic soul, clearly harboring many things she wished to say.
But in the end, all she could do was sigh deeply.
That sigh was filled with helplessness and exhaustion.
"Let's go," she finally said, turning to face Elric with a look of utter weariness.
Elric felt a pang of heartache. He had never seen Calista so vulnerable.
Just as he was about to speak words of comfort, a wave of dizziness hit him.
The world around him seemed to spin wildly, and a tremendous pressure weighed down on him, as if an invisible force had taken hold.
His vision began to blur, and his consciousness started to fade rapidly.
"What's happening..."
Elric mumbled, but before he could finish his sentence, he felt himself collapsing to the ground.
His sight darkened, and the roar of the wind filled his ears.
As Elric fell, the blizzard surged once again, even fiercer than before. Icy, biting cold filled the air, more intense than ever.
The storm swept up countless ice crystals and snowflakes, wreaking havoc across the surroundings.
The temperature plummeted sharply, stifling the air.
Through the swirling storm, a figure gradually emerged from the distance, its outline becoming clearer as it approached.
It was a woman, adorned in an elegant white robe, her long white hair styled intricately behind her head, exuding an air of nobility.
She had pale blue eyes, cold and profound, her gaze fixed intently on the blue-white psychic soul.
Her face was strikingly beautiful, with flawless, sculpted features that seemed almost ethereal.
Every movement she made exuded grace and regal poise.
The moment the psychic soul saw the white-haired woman, its once-calm glow began to flicker violently.
Its voice trembled, something rarely seen, unable to hide its shock.
"Queen?"
The psychic soul's voice was filled with astonishment and doubt, struggling to comprehend what it was seeing.
In its memory, the queen had long passed, and the sight of this white-haired woman shattered its understanding of reality.
The woman raised her head slightly, her expression serene.
"I am her granddaughter. Long time no see, Bliz."
Upon hearing this name, the psychic soul's light flickered intensely once more, its tone betraying an emotional tremor.
"You are... Irena?"
Irena nodded.
Bliz's glow softened slightly, as if reminiscing about its connection to the past.
"You've grown so much... You look just like the queen."
There was a nostalgic tone in its voice, as though it was looking upon the queen it had once pledged to serve with its life.
Irena shifted her gaze to Elric, who had collapsed on the ground, her eyes revealing a hint of concern.
She gently raised her hand and pointed towards Elric.
"Bliz, I'd like to ask you to help this child."
Without any hesitation or further questions, the psychic soul responded calmly.
"Alright, I will."
Calista stepped forward and embraced Irena tightly.
Her movements were filled with emotions long suppressed, as she held Irena close, her eyes welling up with tears.
Calista was taller than Irena by a head, but at this moment, she appeared as vulnerable as a child, laying her emotions bare before Irena.
"Why didn't you come out sooner?"
Calista's voice trembled with emotion, laced with pain.
Irena offered an apologetic smile, gently stroking Calista's deep green hair, her touch tender and soothing.
"I wanted to come out sooner, but that child was too weak.
His psychic power wasn't strong enough to awaken both of us at the same time."
"This time, I was able to awaken because I sensed Bliz's psychic energy.
Otherwise, I would have remained in slumber."
Tears fell silently from Calista's eyes as she clung tightly to Irena, her grip unrelenting.
"I thought..."
Calista's voice was heavy, tinged with guilt and bitterness, but she couldn't finish her sentence.
Irena gently consoled her.
"Everything will be fine, Calista. You've done well."
At that moment, Bliz's psychic soul let out a soft cough, breaking the silence.
"Irena, I cannot leave this pillar just yet. The only thing I can do is bestow the 'Snowstorm' psychic ability to that child."
Irena was taken aback for a moment, not expecting Bliz to offer its most prized psychic skill, "Snowstorm."
After a brief silence, she nodded, her voice filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Bliz."
Bliz's psychic soul flickered gently as a small blue particle floated down from the air.
It gently settled on Elric's right hand, forming a blue snowflake-shaped mark.
"You must leave quickly. I will conceal your presence."
Bliz's voice urged them to go.
Irena cast one last look at Bliz, her eyes reflecting a deep sense of appreciation.
"Thank you, Bliz."
She then turned to Calista.
"Calista, the rest is up to you."
Irena smiled softly, and her figure slowly faded, returning to the jade pendant.
"Thank you, Bliz," Calista echoed.
Bliz's psychic soul dimmed slightly.
...
Mia stood before the towering, freezing white pillar, her gaze fixed intently on Bliz's psychic soul.
"Did someone come here earlier?"
Bliz's psychic soul remained silent within the pillar.
Seeing this, Mia didn't relent, speaking once more.
"If you tell the truth, Father can find you a suitable body and help you revive.
Isn't that what you've always longed for?"
Her voice was gentle, with a hint of persuasion, but also carried the weight of her family's authority.
Bliz's psychic soul was silent for a long while, its blue-white glow flickering slightly.
Finally, it broke the silence, its voice weary.
"Yes, someone was here earlier."
Mia remained calm, her gaze unwavering.
"Oh? And can you track down that person?"
Bliz's psychic soul did not respond, showing no interest in answering Mia's question.
Seeing this, Mia decided to offer a more enticing deal.
"If my brother dies, you can have his body. How about that?"
Bliz's psychic soul once again fell into a long silence.
After a moment, its blue-white glow flickered faintly.
"I've placed a mark on him. If you take this map, you'll be able to find him."
As Bliz finished speaking, a map silently materialized from thin air, gently landing in Mia's hands.
She glanced down at the map, a smile slowly forming on her lips.
On the map, a prominent white mark clearly indicated the target's location.
Satisfied, Mia nodded and turned to leave.
"Bliz, I'm glad you chose to be honest."
Bliz remained silent, watching Mia's figure fade into the distance.
Once she was gone, Bliz's glow dimmed further, and it let out a quiet sigh.
"Irena, I hope you won't hate me."
Bliz's voice was low and filled with bitterness, as though lamenting to someone far away.
"I'm not ready to die yet."