It seemed like I lost consciousness for a moment. During that brief moment, Somnia was protecting my mind.

– Lily, can you hold on?

‘Yes… ‘

It’s harder than I thought. Hearing the screams of so many in pain.

Moreover, their memories from the moment of their death were flowing into me…. It felt like I might go crazy with this overwhelming experience.

‘Aacck!’

‘It hurts…’

‘It’s painful…’

‘Save me!!’

‘I don’t want to die!’

By glimpsing into their memories, I finally knew for sure. The Everett family truly led all these people to their deaths.

‘…Duke Everett.’

His face vaguely appeared in someone’s memory.

Dozens of people, including the owner of the memory, were being pushed into a large pit. On the nearby ground, there was an intricate magic circle, matching exactly what I had seen in the official documents.

The pit and the magic circle were connected by an ‘∞’ symbol, and the black energy flowing out of the pit was constantly condensing in the center of the magic circle along the symbol’s line.

The identity of that black energy was painfully clear.

‘…The emotions and souls of those who died painfully in the pit.’

The being created by purifying those countless emotions and souls was none other than the dark spirit.

– Lily, just a little more. We’re almost there.

‘Yes, I’m okay.’

The key to this plan was to use Somnia’s power to put the dark spirit to sleep. To do that, we had to rest thousands of spirits one by one. It was an obvious task but far from an ordinary one.

– I’ll be fine, but can you handle it, Lily?…. Don’t get swept away by the emotions of the dead, you need to keep a clear mind.

While Somnia put the spirits to rest one by one, I had to vividly experience their memories and emotions flowing into me.

Amidst the whirlwind of those memories and emotions, there were several precarious moments where I felt like I might lose my own existence, and each time, Somnia helped me regain my composure.

– Not much time left, just hold on a bit more! You mustn’t forget who you are! Don’t become assimilated into the deads’ memories, Lily!

Perhaps it was because I also harbored resentment towards the Everett family. The spirits’ grudges felt as vivid as my own. Their pain and sorrow all resonated with me as if it were my own.

‘Help us…’

‘I don’t want to suffer anymore…’

‘Set us free. Release us…!’

‘Get revenge against those people!’

The spirits, who had been screaming uncontrollably, suddenly began to speak to me.

Listening blankly to their stories, I felt some emotion surging within me.

It could have been empathy, or it could have been anger.

I spoke to the spirits in a barely audible voice.

‘I want revenge against those devils too.’

As if echoing my emotions, the cries of the spirits became even louder. I spoke with a voice filled with stronger emotions.

‘I will seek revenge for you. In your place.’

Then, the pained cries gradually transformed into sobbing, filled with a sorrowful sigh. The spirits spoke with deep remorse.

‘Thank you…’

‘You must have suffered a lot too.’

‘Even for saying words, thank you.’

‘Sorry for making you experience our agony.’

At that moment, I realized the spirits had also glimpsed into my memories and emotions.

These souls and I were in the same situation, sharing a common ground of resentment.

– …Alright. Now, it’s the final moment.

It took a while before Somnia murmured in a weary voice. I couldn’t determine how much time had passed. Of course, Somnia’s power distorted time, so it might have differed from the flow of reality.

The last spirit to be put to rest was none other than a child. In the realms of dreams and the subconscious, I faced that child. Somehow, the little light came to mind, and a melancholic feeling enveloped me.

Did the little light’s soul go to a better place? If it was reincarnated… I hoped that it had a happy life this time.

‘Sister.’

‘…?’

Suddenly, the child’s soul spoke. The hazy figure, in shades of pale white, gave a hint of its past appearance, but it wasn’t clear. Yet, I could sense that the child harbored some feelings of apology towards me.

‘Sister, you don’t need to seek revenge on our behalf.’

‘…?’

‘I don’t know about others, but…. I think that way.’

After leaving those words, the child’s soul, like the other spirits, fell into a peaceful slumber.

In the now silent dream space, Somnia’s voice faintly echoed.

– It’s over, Lily. You can wake up now.

“Gasp…!”

Gasping for breath, I opened my eyes wide. The vivid sensations of reality told me that I was still alive.

The mental fatigue was significant, but at least I wasn’t insane, which was a relief.

Taking a deep breath and blinking to clear my vision, I suddenly realized that I was being held in someone’s arms.

The person holding me and staring at me with a worried face was, as expected, Theodore.

“Lily, are you okay?”

He asked softly. Recognizing his clothes felt somewhat lacking, I felt the warmth and coziness of the coat enveloping me. It was Theodore’s.

“…I’m okay.”

__