Aglaya and the woman moved swiftly through the palace corridors. While one kept grumbling and muttering complaints, the other followed silently. Aglaya struggled slightly to match the woman's brisk pace, but fortunately, they soon arrived at their destination.
In the room, nearly all the mansion's occupants were present, except for Anya, who remained in her own room, with no one checking on her condition. After stepping inside, the woman took a moment to scan the situation, trying to pick up any clues or details to better understand what was going on.
She saw Marien and the baby within the barrier, in a pitiful state and seemingly lifeless. On her knees, Marien continued to bleed from her eyes, nose, and ears, yet still held the baby firmly in her arms, maintaining the connection between them.
It wasn't possible to assess their condition closely since the barrier was flawless—it prevented any aura from leaving or entering. However, both appeared to be alive, as expected, since there were still a few minutes left of the ten promised by Akachi.
Turning her gaze to the other side, the woman spotted Inessa unconscious on a couch, with Sonia kneeling beside her, gently cleaning her with a damp cloth. Carefully, Sonia wiped Inessa's face and neck, which were now much cleaner than when Akachi had brought her in.
Close to the couch, Mahara was attempting, though not very successfully, to console Hendrina, who knelt fixated on the barrier with a vacant gaze directed at Marien.
In her mind, the woman noted the chaos that had unfolded in the palace in such a short time. She also wondered what would have happened if Aglaya hadn't called for her help.
Knowing Inessa, she was certain that each of the women she had taken as her apprentices was important enough to her to warrant the same attention a master gives a disciple. If something grave were to happen to any of them, given Inessa's already fragile emotional state, she might take decades to recover fully.
"You were faster than I expected... Very well done, girl."
Pulled from her thoughts, the woman immediately turned her gaze to a more secluded corner of the room, away from the barrier, where Akachi sat comfortably, legs crossed on an armchair.
"Great Lord Akachi…" Without hesitation, the woman knelt and bowed her head respectfully upon laying eyes on him. However, uncertainty and anxiety mingled with respect and admiration were evident on her face.
It was undeniable that Akachi had been the spark that ignited this explosive situation. Yet, he was also the one offering a potential solution to the unstable circumstances surrounding Inessa. Despite the severe damage caused, there was still a chain of looming disasters, and he showed no intention of intervening—only observing.
Akachi was not a reckless or trivial being. He was calculative and extremely focused, someone willing to sacrifice a few for a greater benefit. His reputation as an efficient and decisive strategist was well-documented in history.
In the Twenty Days War, the Battle of Mierilyr, the Great Battle of Elivant, and countless others, Akachi's decisions had often been pivotal, abruptly altering the course of conflicts.
Thus, the judgments of the Great Dragon Lord Akachi were treated as law in Bordium. There was no questioning the accuracy of his assessments of significant events—this was fact.
Who, in their right mind, would challenge someone of such accomplishments?
"Focus, Lady Abigail. Hurry and do your part. If the girl gave you accurate information, you only have 2 minutes and 55 seconds," Akachi's voice interrupted Abigail's thoughts once again.
Taking his advice, Abigail quickly rose and approached Inessa. Meanwhile, Akachi, entirely focused on observing the situation within the barrier, didn't spare her a glance.
Reaching the couch where Inessa lay, Abigail manipulated her aura, enveloping Inessa's body with it. Using her aura, Abigail began to examine Inessa's condition in detail, searching for injuries or damage that might have caused her to lose consciousness.
The findings were minimal—these injuries were unlikely to have brought down a Great Lady. Nevertheless, Abigail used her aura to heal all internal and external wounds.
The healing was so effective that even Inessa's appearance began to change. The dark circles under her eyes vanished, her skin regained a silky, healthy glow, and even her hair appeared more lustrous and vibrant.
Having completed the healing process, Abigail paused for a breath before turning to Aglaya, who stood beside the couch with Sonia.
"How much time?" Abigail asked.
"1 minute and 48 seconds," Aglaya replied.
"Brute force it is, then..."
With that, Abigail resumed manipulating her aura, conducting another thorough examination of Inessa's body. This time, she searched for sensitive points within her aura veins—areas where the aura was concentrated or under excessive pressure.
Once these areas were identified, Abigail took another breath and closed her eyes. Clasping her hands together, she manipulated her aura until it formed a radiant white energy in her palms. Soon, her hands began to glow even more intensely, producing ethereal white flames.
Abruptly opening her eyes, Abigail placed her hands on Inessa's forehead and abdomen, injecting those white flames into her body with precision and care.
Using meticulous yet forceful techniques, Abigail corrected every sensitive point and pressure issue in Inessa's aura veins. Despite the significant effort, she did not halt the process. On the contrary, she intensified it, manipulating her aura within Inessa's body to stimulate her senses while inducing a strange, violent flow through all her aura veins.
In theory, this method was designed for specialized training of aspiring Dragon Ladies—a painful yet tolerable process. In practice, Abigail used far more energy than recommended, eliciting a reaction akin to dumping a bucket of ice water on someone fast asleep.
The result was immediate.
"GET OUT…"
Abruptly waking and sitting up on the couch, Inessa appeared disoriented, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred. Her eyes wandered around the room for a few moments before landing on Abigail, who wore a subtle yet ironic smile.
"Well, well... Good to see you, Inessa. What's it been? Three years?"
Pain... Pain... More pain...
I don't know how long it's been. I don't know where I am. I don't know who I am, and I can't remember anything.
But in return, an agonizing, excruciating pain tears through my very being, from the inside out. It feels like thousands of needles pierce my body while a 500-kilo anvil crushes my skull, almost shattering it.
My body refuses to respond. Were it not for the unbearable pain, I'd doubt I even still had a body to call my own. My arms and legs won't move, my eyes remain shut, refusing to open.
I try to scream with all my might, but nothing escapes my throat except a thick, viscous liquid I presume is a mixture of drool and blood.
My mind is blank, consumed by the pain, incapable of forming coherent thoughts. My body writhes, reacting to the agony in a desperate, futile attempt to find relief.
How long has it been? Minutes? Hours?
I have no idea, and I can only pray for it to end soon. At this point, death seems preferable to this suffering. Unfortunately, I can't even bite my tongue...
It hurts...
It hurts so much...
Someone help me...
Make it stop... PLEASE MAKE IT STOP.
Plop.
Suddenly, as if answering my pleas and prayers, an overwhelmingly pleasant sensation swept through my entire being.
Like a drop of rain falling in a desert, my body soaked in this sensation, and my mind was flooded with an almost orgasmic pleasure I had never experienced before. Something nearly divine, making me completely forget the excruciating pain I had been feeling until that moment.
MMMMMMmmmmmmmm
It was an incredible feeling that coursed through my entire body, like diving into a hot tub, but magnified a hundredfold in pleasure.
It was incredible... Phenomenal... So divine that I thought I must have finally died. Something this intense couldn't possibly be felt in a mortal body. I had to be dead, at last.
Plop
OHHHMMMMMMM
And it happened again—the sensation that had started to fade returned, assaulting my body once more. The divine feeling suppressed my pain and took over my mind, though it wasn't enough to completely eliminate the lingering aches.
Yes, the pain was much duller now, barely noticeable, but it still persisted, faintly tainting my divine moment of pleasure...
Plop Plop Plop Plop Plop
If I were to die, I think it could well be amidst this incredible sensation. Having experienced something like this, I wouldn't ask for anything more. And if the earlier torment was the price for this bliss, I believe it was worth it.
Drip
MMMMMMMMMMM… AAHHHH
What a wonderful day... This is incredible... Hmm? Wait a moment...
I feel something different, something more intense and profound... I feel like I'm being pulled. To be precise, it's as if I'm being gently carried by a river's current until, finally...
I feel someone.
_____
Hello, everyone!
Just stopping by to let you know that I've made some edits to non-essential parts of the earlier chapters, which could have caused continuity issues as the story progresses. There's no need to re-read the edited chapters, but if you have any questions as the story moves forward, feel free to leave a comment. I'll be happy to answer them!