Surviving Times

MIA'S POV:

I forgot the passage of time…

It must've been a long time. Long enough for me to memorize everything. And to do something new too.

I completed my dream project! The Virtual Reality!

I was hard, but I did it!

It feels so good but also bad…

I miss my family. I miss the food…

Anyways, with the magic depleting, I can tell I will be out any moment or year. Let's wait for a bit more.

Gresil's having a severe headache with info-overload because of talking with me in different space-time laws.

Gresil's the best. Without him perhaps I would've become absolutely cold-hearted. I perfectly empathise with Rouge's feelings for wanting to wreck the world when Frosch died. Who knows I would too…

Since I have nothing else to do, and Gresil's not there, I decided to observe the fluctuations in the 'Void.' I was unable at first, but now after who knows how long, I was able to 'feel' it. The Void.

Another 'jackpot.' I seriously love my ancestors now. They are extremely kind and wise, though they were a bit mean at first, look at them now. They are absolutely adorable! Giving me all the time I lack. Even granting me a chance to learn the properties of Void which is exceedingly rare, even in Earthland.

I revise the laws here. I'm not a fool to decline this exceptional opportunity. The void felt, like nothingness. There wasn't anything here. Purely empty. Except for me. Only I was here and no one else. No air, no light, nothing but I am here, able to breathe and feel. It was just me. The feeling was very familiar. I was unable to know at first, but now I was clearly able to perceive it. It felt the same every time I died. I was dead but also alive.

Maybe, being a soul suggested this. Alive but dead. Free from life and death as a soul… then what is void? A true form? Where nothing exists but anything can exist? Can it be nowhere but also everywhere? If it is like that, then void is not pure nothingness...

But I had no time to think any further… My consciousness was back to the corporeal world again.

The first thing I saw was mom.

"Mia? Can you hear me, love?"

"Mom? Is that you?"

"It is me, my baby. Are you okay?"

"Yes, just a bit tired and sleepy."

"That's alright. Come here, love."

I weakly walked out of the array and was enveloped into her embrace. She was so soft and warm. All the desolateness I felt was gone. The comfortableness made me sigh and fall asleep. The world can end for all I mind.

***

Aurora's POV:

I knew I would regret this. I knew it.

Mia disappeared. When mother said that she vanished from the array, I felt my heart stop.

Why did this happen? The baptism typically ends within a moment. This was not normal at all.

I felt my vision blur and everything spin around me. But I couldn't afford to be weak at all now.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at my mother who was equally distraught.

"Mother, what exactly happened?"

"I don't know dear. There wasn't anything unusual. She just vanished with lights."

"What do you mean? Wasn't everything well? You said so."

"Yes… everything was absolutely fine. The baptism should be completed by now."

"It's okay… Let's go back to the catacombs. We might find anything we missed."

"Fine, let's search there."

We both reached the altar. There was nothing. It felt like no one was there.

'Stay calm, Aurora. You have to stay calm. Or else you can't have Mia back.'

I forced myself to stay calm.

Then I discerned something. I bent down near the array. What I saw shocked me.

"Mother, look."

She bent down and examined the array. In an instant, she too was astonished.

"...The baptism is still hasn't ended."

"That means Mia is still there…"

We both realised Mia was still having her trial.

And that wasn't one bit relieving. I was there for a moment and can say it wasn't a very pleasant experience at all…

Mia… she's there in that hell right now…

I have to do something. I need to bring my daughter back. She can't stay in that hell for one moment.

"Aurora, wait. Don't do anything rash."

Mother stopped me.

"Why? She must be suffering right now!"

"And any interference would cause danger. You know that."

"So I should let her be? You know how it is in there!"

"Remember that for everyone, the nature of the trial is different. It would be burdensome to her, but there would be no danger as long as she is in there. If we do something, and it backfires, we may lose Mia forever."

Her words were like a cold shower.

"If anything happens to my daughter, I'm going to burn everything here to ashes."

"You do that. And I will help you."

We both waited. Hours passed. Dread occupied me. Mother couldn't stay calm and went to get some help. I stayed here. Staring at the empty hall.

An entire day passed. I was close, reaching my limits.

But then, something happened. The lights pervaded the room. I held my breath, waiting for the lights to fade. I desperately hoped they brought my daughter back with them.

And they did. My Mia was there, sitting inside the array. She didn't look harmed at all. I was delighted. But didn't let my hopes too high. I gradually approached her.

"Mia? Can you hear me, love?" I asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible. She looked up, and what I saw distressed me. Her eyes, absolutely bore no light. They were dark. Her bright eyes were now blank and had no emotions in them. Just pitch black darkness… those shouldn't be the eyes of a child.

"Mom? Is that you?" something finally appeared in her eyes as she said them and I was glad.

"Yes, It is me, my baby. Are you okay?" I carefully asked her.

"Yes, just a bit tired and sleepy." she said weakly.

"That's alright. Come here, love." I waited for her to come to me and quickly brought her back inside. She was burning with a fever, and I had to do something to stop it now.

I called mother back as soon as I returned. I placed Mia on the bed and cast a healing spell on her. She looked a bit better but I can tell that this was far from over. I changed her clothes and waited for my mother to come back.

Mother came and examined Mia's condition. She was shocked and didn't speak for a while. I impatiently requested her for some answers if she had any at all.

"Mia's magic is growing…"

"What?!"

"The magic from the baptism is not completely taken… so all of it is gathering inside her now. Too much increase in magic has caused her a fever, she was out for a day, making her unable to withstand it. Nothing else to worry I guess..." She said listlessly, still shocked at how this could happen.

I wasn't any less shocked but more glad that she is going to be alright. As long as she is fine…