(EP-219.1)# 2

219 – Great Escape #2

Dreams were volatile.

Even intense nightmares that could jolt you awake in the deep of night, after a while, the emotions and scenes would scatter like dust in the wind.

The time I spent within Aira’s psyche was no exception.

From the week in the Witch Forest to playing clown at the wedding venue, it all felt long at the time.

In reality, the time I spent there amounted to less than a night.

And those memories were already fading away, one by one, like a vague dream. It hadn’t even been an hour since I woke up.

What was even more surprising was this…

“Queen Aira and her servant Lily already woke up this morning.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!”

Narmi exclaimed loudly and opened my eyes wide. She then shook the light she conjured at her fingertips to and fro, examining my condition.

“Fortunately, you seem to have regained your senses. You didn’t wake up for a long time, so I was worried that your spirit was not able to find your body.”

Aira and Lily had already been up and about, living their lives as usual. But I showed no signs of waking up.

Thanks to that, I had to undergo a thorough examination in the Draco twins’ room.

Hwareureuk-.

Narmi then lit a pink candle that burnt with a strange smoke and brought it under my nose.

“Take a whiff. It’ll help you recover.”

Was this like aromatherapy?

Heueup-.

I took a small breath. The peach-like sweet fragrance entered my nostrils, spreading throughout my body.

“It’s good.”

As I nodded, Narmi brought the talisman in her hand to the candle. Naturally, the thin talisman caught fire. Narmi dipped it in a wine glass and handed it to me.

“What is this?”

“Drink it.”

… Drink wine with a talisman burned into it?

I almost wrinkled my brow, but managed to restrain myself.

“You… want me to drink this?”

“I’ve noticed that the connection between your spirit and body is a bit loose. Drinking this will help strengthen it.”

“My spirit and body are loose…?”

“Exactly.”

Jjak-.

Narmi clapped her hands.

“The spirit, soul, and body of a person are closely intertwined, so tightly bound that they can be seen as one.”

Seureuk-.

Then she gently pulled them apart.

“But Theo, your body and spirit have a small gap between them.”

“Really? Why is it like that?”

“Well, there could be many reasons, but usually, it’s a side effect of excessive spirit summoning or necromancy, such as those who use other people’s bodies as vessels….”

“Necromancy?”

I asked as if I knew nothing. But I had a suspicion why my spirit and body were not tightly bound and had a gap.

Because I wasn’t originally this half-fairy.

When thinking about it, my soul was inside someone else’s body, so it wasn’t surprising that the link between the two turned loose and tenuous.

Was this strange possession some kind of necromancy?

However, Narmi brought her fingertips to her lips and corrected herself with a snort.

“But Theo, I think your case is a little different. The best thing to do would be to dissect you and separate your spirit from the body—.”

“Please don’t say such scary things…”

“Anyway, if you keep drinking the talisman elixir I gave you, the gap between your spirit and body will soon be sealed! Not just anyone can make this. You’re lucky, Theo!”

She giggled with her fan covering her mouth. This gesture reminded me of her sister Mirna, who liked to use the fan as some kind of a veil.

Thinking about having to continue drinking this burnt-talisman wine for the next few days made my stomach churn.

“Do I really have to drink it?”

“It’s better if you do. Frankly, it’s amazing how you’ve managed to live with such an unstable connection until now. Have you ever felt heavy or your mana recovery being slow?”

“Does that have anything to do with my condition?”

“Of course!”

At Narmi’s question, I remembered the days I had lived until now.

My body was always heavy and my stamina was poor. I thought it was simply because of half-fairies having a frail body. So it was a bit disconcerting to hear that it was due to my own condition.

“Anyway, drink it down! Don’t taste it!”

“Can’t you at least mix it with water instead of wine?”

“No!”

Narmi’s attitude was so firm that it seemed impossible to persuade her otherwise. I felt like she would be furious if I went back without drinking it, so I reluctantly closed my eyes and gulped down the burnt-talisman wine.

Waaaaaah-

Whether it was because the alcohol content was higher than expected or because of the burnt talisman, it felt like my throat and stomach were lit on fire.

“Ugh.”

My head started spinning and my vision began to blur.

I didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol or the medicinal effects, but it wasn’t a very good feeling, so I ended up slumping back onto the bed.

“And I think my Unnie said she had something to say. Theo, are you sleeping─?”

It sounded like Narmi was saying something, but my eyelids were getting heavier, and darkness fell upon me in an instant.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I was able to get up more neatly than what I expected. I thought I would have a hangover, but my head didn’t hurt, and my body didn’t feel heavy like wet cotton.

On the contrary, my body felt light. My arms and legs moved well, and I felt refreshed, as if I had just gotten out of a cool bath.

“Good.”

The talisman elixir tasted terrible, but it seemed to have worked well. I should thank Narmi later.

“Ngh-.”

Thanks to that, I was able to quickly return to my daily routine after some light stretching. The sun was already high in the sky. It was time for people to get busy.

After putting on clothes, I checked all my belongings one last time and headed outside.

The sun shining on my face was so dazzling that it momentarily blinded me, but there were even more surprising things just up ahead.

Edited by: faker