Chương 164: The Body

The mind sits in the skull, while the soul is shackled to the vessel. A soul nestled within a coil cannot soar; its flesh, bones, sinew, and sins bind it to the earth. Yet birds, bats, and dragons alike have found their own ways to sail the skies despite the laws of nature. There were never absolutes in life.

June was fortunate to have a gyroscopic mind; the ever-shifting flux of life was painfully ingrained in him, and the constant challenges life unwarrantedly shoved in his face gave him a vast library of discomforting experience. Regardless of such experience, his mind swayed on the thin line of sanity, with the already impossible acrobatic feat becoming more and more difficult by the day. He wanted to see Lilia. He wanted to see his dog. He wanted to see Mortimer. He wanted to see his friends.

He didn't want to be stuck in the fray once more; he wanted to run away. June wasn't a brave man; he was a coward at heart, who forced himself into brave acts out of sheer, induced idiocy. Was a calm life, one where he was cradled and loved, too much to ask for? A life with moderate difficulty at least? You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. A life where he was loved? Why did his luck… his life always threaten to take everything away?

That thought echoed in his mind in a somber hymn, dragging his spirits through the shambles of debris. His custom-tailored outfit was regretfully ruined; the amount of effort the servants and Mortimer put into making him look his best had been nullified. Cuts, blood… his own blood… the blood of others… from attackers and people he was too late to save. He was no longer in the simulation; death had become real — people no longer dissipated into phantasmagorical mist upon death.

They simply lay still, unmoving, unblinking, the soul that one could see through the eyes… missing.

'Everything hurts… I'm scared… I want to go home.' Half of his mind whirled with these thoughts, while the other ignored the reality in front of him: 'I wonder how the visit to the mages academy will go?' It was clear, blatant escapism, even to himself — his mind was numb, his wounds felt sharp and cold, yet dry, as if they were breaded in the stagnant, powdered concrete hovering in the air.

Staggering towards the central building, June bit his lip with a crunch, letting his blood wet his drying lips; he didn't want to leave unless he confirmed that Lilia was safe. He cursed his inadequacy — his fear of his trump card. He winced and touched his side, feeling liquid coursing down.

'What!?' June stifled his breath and punched his chest a few times; then, after a few moments, he cursed to himself before digging a fingernail into his chest. He haphazardly pinched the skin together and used his Will to seal it; his headspace was affecting his abilities. He needed to wake up… to be present. June had already abandoned his pride; he beckoned for the spirits to help him look for Lilia.

He was prepared to beg and plead on his knees, even offer his heart if that meant Lilia would be safe, but to his surprise, the spirits — especially a pudgy blue one that had followed him from the simulation — had agreed to help him out without much in return. His little friend, the water spirit, hovered around him, chirping loudly when he began to nod off. He didn't know if he was tired out of worry, or if the event itself had drained him… June just wanted to see Lilia.