Memory

Night.

Above the firmament, the stars were hidden; only a pale crescent moon hung solitary in the sky.

The Norman Manor.

A spatial rift was suddenly torn open in the sky. Two figures stepped out from the rift, like deities who had shattered the void to descend.

Xia Lun looked down at the brightly lit manor below, his expression calm and unruffled. Aina stood by his side, her dark dress seemingly blending into the night, the patterns on the hem faintly visible in the darkness.

"Those guys actually ran away this quickly..." Aina gently furrowed her brows.

The manor below seemed lively, ablaze with lights and echoing with voices, but in her perception, there were no truly powerful or notable energy fluctuations. Those left behind were nothing but abandoned pawns, ordinary people who had never even touched magic.

With the news Luo Lun had brought earlier, Xia Lun naturally would not remain indifferent and had rushed straight here to check the situation.

They had come very quickly; traversing spatial distances was merely a step for them. But it seemed they were still a step too late, as there was no trace of those Twilight Apostles to be found.

"Aina... do you know where they went?" Xia Lun looked at his wife.

"Xia Lun, I don't know everything... I only know what I know." Aina shook her head gently, a subtle curve lifting the corners of her lips. "Just like how, even though we know each other inside out, you definitely wouldn't know how many wrinkles form on the soles of my feet when I bend them, right?"

Xia Lun fell silent for a moment, a trace of thought flashing through his eyes. Aina also fell silent, and then the expression on her face gradually turned to shock.

Xia Lun actually knew even this kind of thing...

However, it was enough that Xia Lun understood the meaning behind the example Aina had given.

"Ahem... Although I have temporarily taken the place of the Goddess, I haven't truly refined this world... I am just a living being who controls a portion of the world's authority. I am not omniscient and omnipotent," Aina explained.

"Mm, I know."

Xia Lun chuckled softly. His warm fingers skillfully slipped between Aina's fingers, gently scratching her palm. This intimate little gesture immediately dispelled that subtle atmosphere.

What a terrifying man... Aina muttered in her heart.

To understand her to such an extent... it actually made Aina feel a chill in her heart.

Could it be that her love for Xia Lun couldn't compare to Xia Lun's love for her?

This wouldn't do!

After going back, she also needed to count...

The figures of the two slowly descended from the high sky, as light as feathers, without stirring up a single breath of air.

A defensive magic array had been temporarily set up above the manor, but to Xia Lun and Aina, it was virtually non-existent.

Aina didn't even look at it directly. She merely raised her other free hand casually and extended her index finger, and the magic array shattered like a fragile soap bubble.

The two entered without any hindrance.

The people below had no idea what had just happened.

The guards were still patrolling. They had been informed that enemies might attack tonight...

But they probably couldn't imagine in their wildest dreams what kind of existence their opponents were this time.

Fortunately, however, Xia Lun completely ignored them.

Aina held Xia Lun's hand, and their figures became blurred once again. Like ink blending into water, they passed straight through the solid walls and entered the interior of the manor's mansion.

Cold stone walls, magnificent tapestries, heavy doors... the existence of all physical matter could not hinder them in the slightest. The scenery before their eyes flowed and changed rapidly, like a swiftly shifting scroll.

Finally, the scene froze on a warm and simple bedroom.

"You..."

Lanxia's pupils shrank. With just a blur before her eyes, two people had appeared out of thin air in the room. No matter how one thought about it, it was a terrifying occurrence.

"Xia... Mr. Xia Lun?" Lanxia was astonished to discover that she actually recognized the man.

"Ms. Lanxia, have you seen a few guys wearing grayish-yellow robes?" Xia Lun asked immediately.

"They... have already left with Elesha." Lanxia's eyes dimmed, her voice somewhat dry.

Xia Lun quickly followed up, "Where did they go?"

"I don't know..."

"You are making this too troublesome; you won't be able to ask anything this way, Xia Lun." Aina reached her hand out toward Lanxia, and Lanxia's gaze instantly became somewhat dull.

Clusters of pale yellow halos slowly separated from Lanxia's body.

"What is this?"

"Her memories."

Aina waved her hand again, and the clusters of halos instantly unfolded, presenting themselves before the two like a screen, and began to play like a slideshow.

The memories surfaced. The first scene was the moment a baby opened its eyes. The face of an unfamiliar woman occupied the entire field of vision, filled with gentle joy.

Aina clearly had no interest in this whatsoever. With a slight point of her finger, the flow of time within the light screen suddenly accelerated. The baby girl in the scene grew up rapidly, quickly aging into her current appearance.

The time arrived at the recent past.

"Elesha, your current state is very wrong... listen to your grandmother's advice and stay away from those guys of unknown origin..." The Lanxia in the memory sounded full of anxiety and exhaustion.

"No, Grandmother, you do not know anything... and it is best if you stop interfering in my affairs." Elesha's voice rang out, cold and alienated, carrying a near-fanatical stubbornness.

"It is enough, Elesha. The Norman family no longer faces any threats. Stop this now, Elesha. If you continue like this, you will destroy yourself!"

Elesha's laughter carried a hint of disdain. "Heh, reviving the family? What I want to do is not just something so superficial. You will not understand, Grandmother."

In the memory, Elesha seemed preparing to leave.

Suddenly.

"Lord Hero! You are watching this memory, right?"

The Elesha in Lanxia's memory suddenly became excited, even bearing a sickly flush.

"I know... you will definitely come to investigate this matter. But by then, I will no longer be here... Ah, what a pity. To not be able to meet you using this opportunity...

But please rest assured, I will definitely save you. I know you must be coerced by that evil Demon King... She is right beside you now, isn't she? I will definitely... snatch you back from her demonic clutches..."

Aina expressionlessly waved her hand forcefully, and the scene before them dissipated.

Xia Lun and Aina exchanged a glance.

"How did this girl turn out like this? What did you do to her back then?" Aina looked at Xia Lun suspiciously.

The Elesha from back then was subservient, completely following her grandmother's lead... Compared to her current appearance, it was simply a world of difference.

"I did not do anything! It is not like you do not know."

Xia Lun waved his hands repeatedly. Back then in the bathroom, Aina should have been peeking the entire time... although she herself strongly denied it.

"Then this girl..."

"Mm... perhaps she has fallen into depravity..."